Obelisk 1963

Ruth Vollmer created this ‘Obelisk’ sculpture sometime during the mid-20th century. Its geometric arrangement and use of simple shapes invites interpretations related to mathematical and natural orders. Vollmer was associated with the early American Minimalist movement, whose project was to use strict geometry in order to take art out of the established institutions of art history, such as painting and figurative sculpture. While the obelisk is a traditional monument, here it contains simple everyday objects like spheres and cylinders. The way Vollmer brings together classical forms with the modernist aesthetic and the geometry of everyday objects hints at a broader critique of institutions of knowledge. To better understand Vollmer's thought we need to look at her mathematical models, science writing, and her connection to the artistic and intellectual circles of her time. It is through these things that we understand the meaning of the artwork.