Nu assis de dos 1927

Julio Gonzalez made ‘Nu assis de dos’ in 1927, and I find myself wondering about the decisions that led to its creation, the shifts, the intuition. I can imagine Gonzalez starting with a vague idea, maybe just a feeling or a memory, then working directly with the metal, hammering and shaping it, letting the figure emerge through trial and error. Look at how the texture of the metal creates a play of light and shadow, defining the contours of the body. The thin arm reaching forward, what does it mean? A gesture of offering, a moment of introspection? Gonzalez’s work reminds me of other sculptors who work directly with their materials, like David Smith, or even some of the early modernists like Picasso, who also experimented with metal sculpture. There’s a conversation happening across time, artists riffing off each other's ideas. What does it mean to represent the human form in such an elemental way? It embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple readings.