Mao's Organ 2007

Barbara Chase-Riboud, you know, she wrestled with materials to make this incredible sculpture. Bronze and silk, like she's throwing different worlds together to see what happens. Imagine her in the studio, right? Hot wax, molten metal, the smell of dye. She's not just shaping things, she's like, coaxing them into a conversation. The gold bronze, it’s all folds and hollows, like cloth but also, like skin. And those red cords spill out, so bright, so soft against the metal. I see blood, guts, but also, maybe something ceremonial, like a king’s robes. I bet she was thinking about power, about Mao, of course, but also about how power gets made and how it messes with people. I'm reminded of Eva Hesse and Louise Bourgeois. It’s like they're all figuring out how to make something solid out of feelings. Artists are always in conversation, riffing off each other, trying new things. We make art because we have to, because it's the only way to figure out what we think, or what we don't know. And that's a beautiful thing.