Dirty Bomb 2008

Inigo Manglano-Ovalle made this sculpture, “Dirty Bomb,” from steel, aluminum, and epoxy. I see it hanging in space, like a thought suspended in mid-air. I wonder what it was like to make this thing? To grapple with these materials, to build this monumental object, to hang it there… It's as if the artist is saying that the bomb is not just a physical thing, but an idea, too. The contrast between the clean, white surface and the dirty stains is pretty intense. It's like the outside is all nice and shiny, but inside, it's contaminated. It's a punch to the gut. It reminds me how art doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It's always connected to what's happening in the world and other artists. It’s an ongoing conversation, echoing across time.