ANISH KAPOOR
(British/Indian, b. 1954)

Kapoor first became recognized in the 1980s for his geometric or biomorphic sculptures made using simple—often elemental—materials such as granite, limestone, marble, pigment and plaster. His sculptures extend the formal precepts of minimalism into an intensely spiritual and psychological realm, drawing viewers in with their rich colors, sensuously refined surfaces, and startling optical effects of depth and dimension.

Since the mid-1990s he has explored the notion of the void, creating works that seem to recede into the distance, disappear into walls or floors, or otherwise destabilize our assumptions about the physical world. The works give visceral and immediate impact to abstract dualities such as presence and absence, infinity and illusion, solidity and intangibility.

Kapoor's pieces are often simple, curved forms, usually monochrome, and frequently brightly colored. Powdered pigments sometimes cover the works and sometimes lie on the floor around the works as well. This practice is inspired by the mounds of brightly colored pigments Kapoor saw on his visits to India. His work is equally inspired by his dual nationalities.

JOEL SHAPIRO
(American, b. 1941)

Creating complex figures from simple geometric shapes, Shapiro is celebrated for his Minimalist sculptural aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from ancient Indian and Greek art, as well as the works of Degas, Brancusci, Serra, Andre, and Judd, Shapiro first worked on a small scale, his practice later evolving to encompass a range of sizes, from miniature to monumental. 

By the 1980s, Shapiro had begun creating the signature dynamic and geometric sculpture for which he is best known. Inspired by the human form, he explores the fine line between movement and stasis by building figures that appear to defy gravity. He utilizes the physical principles of compression, projection, cantilevering, and balance, and often his subjects appear to be dancing, falling, leaning, or flying. 

Shapiro has installed large outdoor works with innumerable public and private instititions of repute, including the Denver Art Museum, Hood Museum of Art, and Storm King Art Center.

MARK DI SUVERO
(American, b. 1933)

Often regarded as one of the most important living American sculptors, Mark di Suvero began his steady rise to prominence in the 1960s with exhibitions at the March Gallery, NY (1958), Green Gallery, NY (1960), and his ground breaking solo exhibition at the Jardin de Tuileries, Paris (1975), where, as the first living artist bestowed with this honor, he exhibited the monumental, industrially informed works that have become synonymous with his name. That same year, di Suvero was given his first one-person American museum exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, which included many smaller works that were similar in scale to the sculpture highlighted in this current exhibition. 

Today, di Suvero is best known for his large outdoor sculpture – works such as Pax Jerusalem (1999) at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, and Mother Peace (1969-70), at the Storm King Art Center, that demonstrate his long lasting commitment to public art. These large works require audience participation, begging for the type of meditative circumambulation that was popularized early on by the Greco-Romans and reemphasized by Michelangelo and his followers in the 1500s. This need for viewer interaction is a major tendency in di Suvero’s small scale sculpture as well.