Swing for Stumps 1993

Vasiliy Ryabchenko made this sculpture, 'Swing for Stumps', with wood and metal. It’s as though it has emerged from a forest where the remnants of trees, raw and unrefined, are suspended in mid-air, held by chains within a geometric frame. You know, I can almost feel the artist’s hand as he worked on this piece. What was Ryabchenko thinking as he combined these disparate elements? Maybe he was pondering the relationship between the natural and the artificial. The juxtaposition of the organic tree stumps against the manufactured frame and metal chains creates a tension that holds your attention. These materials, with their tactile qualities, make you want to reach out and touch it. And, the use of found objects, such as the tree stumps, might remind us of artists like Kurt Schwitters, who incorporated everyday materials into their work. Artists are always in conversation, you know? Always building on the ideas of those who came before. It is a fascinating and ongoing exchange.