Triangle 1987

Nancy Graves made this wire sculpture, "Triangle," by bending, twisting, and joining metal. It looks like the thought process is right there, in the work! The lines build up, almost like a drawing in space. Graves was fascinated with process and materiality. She was interested in the ways different textures and forms can evoke different emotional responses. Up top there is that open cage structure, which I find intriguing, juxtaposed against those wiry lines trailing off to the top left. Is it a head? An antenna? The piece has a spindly elegance, a bit like a Calder mobile, but with a rougher, more improvisational feel. It’s fun to see Graves experiment with a kind of controlled chaos. I am reminded of Lynda Benglis, who, like Graves, was interested in challenging the traditional boundaries of sculpture. Both artists encourage us to embrace the unexpected, to find beauty in the imperfect, and to recognize that art is, above all, a process of discovery.