OBJECT/SHADOW - Larry Kagan Sculpture

Bald Eagle, 2005
Director’s Statement
So much of the art that has endured through time has been seen as both
complex and conceptually mysterious. One thinks of Diego Velasquez’s
great work “Las Meninas,” which continues to enthrall and engage us in unraveling
its spatial mysteries. We might consider as well the paintings of
Cezanne which seem never to reveal the visual magic that the modern master
employed. The works of Larry Kagan present no less of a mystery.
These are works that entice us to get involved on multiple levels. The physical
aspect of the work with its highly complex linear elements of twisted
metal are reminiscent of the compositions so identified with the drawings
of Jackson Pollock. And like Pollock, the lines are purposeful, but unlike any
artist in history, Kagan’s lines make possible a shadowed image of total
shock and surprise. This imagery which exists in shadowed form only appears
as alchemy. How is it that a totally abstract linear physical composition
could make possible a recognizable image of perfect clarity?
In a sense, Larry Kagan’s work is not only about formal art; it is also
about visual phenomenology. We look, we question, and then we look
again. And while this would be a proper process for the enjoyment and
deeper appreciation of all art, it is a requirement for this art. Even though
Kagan might ask much from his viewers, what we gain from the work is
worth the journey.
Louis A. Zona
Director
3