Jogger 1983

Duane Hanson’s ‘Jogger’ is a sculpture of, well, exactly what it says on the tin. And I mean, wow, you really do feel for this poor guy, don’t you? He’s clearly in pain, maybe pulled a muscle. The pale flesh tones capture the mundane reality of the human form, and the slightly awkward pose just amplifies the moment of discomfort. I mean, who hasn’t been there? That moment where your body just gives up on you. Hanson’s work reminds me a little bit of the unflinching gaze of someone like Degas, capturing everyday life and the human condition without flinching. Artists are always in dialogue across time, riffing on ideas. We are all just trying to make sense of this weird, wonderful, and sometimes painful experience of being alive.