Sarah Sze
Random Walk Drawing (Eye Chart)
2010
Scroll
Sarah Sze
Random Walk Drawing (Eye Chart)
2010
Physical Qualities
Mixed media, 160 x 135 x 135 in. (406.4 x 342.9 x 342.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Purchased as the gift of Katherine M. Hardiman, Baltimore, and Janet E. and Edward K. Dunn, Jr., Baltimore; and Bequest Funds from Constance D. Bendann
Object Number
2012.208
Sarah Sze employed readily accessible objects to construct the magically complex world of this work. Influenced by Asian scroll paintings like those found in the BMA’s collection, Sze had paper cut by a computer to suggest craggy terrain or clouds. Thin blue strings arcing across the floor evoke pools of water, while the bright colors of a duster suggest a rainbow.
Along with their references to forms in the landscape, the vivid colors, varying surface textures, and alternately delicate and robust shapes of the assembled items engage the eye. By carefully connecting disparate elements into a continuous network, Sze demonstrates that even when stone, metal, and wood are set aside for less traditional materials, the need to build a balanced, integrated composition with a strong presence in three-dimensional space is still very much in the minds of contemporary sculptors. By incorporating eye charts, she provides a hint that close looking at the myriad details of her composition is critical.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by purchase, 2012; Tonya Bonakdar Gallery, NY
Contemporary Wing Reinstallation
New Arrivals: Gifts of Art for a New Century
Baltimore Museum of Art. The Baltimore Museum of Art: Celebrating a Museum. Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 2014.
