Untitled 1992

This sculpture by David Hammons is made from what look like branches, stuck into some white spherical shapes. What is the effect of all these dark lines coming out from a central point? It reminds me of a kind of strange, urban plant life. Hammons probably wanted to create something that was beautiful and ugly at the same time. I'm trying to think what it must have been like to make this. Like a kid, fiddling with twigs and making a little world. The texture is key here. The way the black stuff clings to the branches, making them rough and uneven. It gives the whole piece a gritty, almost burnt feeling. But it also creates a kind of delicate, fragile beauty. Like those spiky sea urchins. It's as if Hammons is showing us that beauty can be found in unexpected places. Hammons always seemed to be in conversation with other artists, especially those who challenged conventional ideas about art. He asks us to see the world in a new way. It's about finding poetry in the everyday, embracing the imperfect, and understanding that art is always open to interpretation.