Getty Museum
bronzenightshirt
Creator
Peter SheltonAmerican Artist · 1951–present
All works by this person →> In our culture, we seldom allow language to come from anywhere but an area we call mind usually located about three inches above a lump of flesh we call brain. I'd say, let your fingers speak, let your guts talk... and listen to your feet. > > --Peter Shelton > > Peter Shelton's sculptural practice encompasses a diverse range of themes, approaches, and media. Creating both large-scale installati
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- 1987–1989
- Medium
- Bronze
- Culture
- American
- Department
- Sculpture
- Institution
- Getty Museum
Tautly suspended from two cables, this slender bronze form hangs rigidly just off the ground. The form's vertical orientation and outstretched "arms" suggest a human figure. But the work conspicuously lacks elements that would imply a head, hands, or feet. Further, while from afar the sculpture's bronze patina appears smooth, it is in fact pocked and striated, more akin to the skin of a scaly reptile than a human. Peter Shelton often titles his work with letters that run together without spaces or upper case distinctions. This technique encourages the viewer to consider words and letters in new ways. The title of this sculpture suggests that it represents an outer garment or covering for a figure rather than a figure itself. The bronze's hollow form supports such a reading. But the work's figural appearance and scale equally encourages the viewer to consider how his or her own proportions, position, and weight relate to the dark, ghostly form before them.
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