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Sculptor Defied Solidity With Wire Art
5 Jun
Summary
- Sculptor Alan Saret died May 26 at 81 in Brooklyn.
- He used delicate materials like wire to create airy sculptures.
- His art explored unseen forces and philosophical questions.
Sculptor Alan Saret, celebrated for his innovative approach to art-making, passed away on May 26 in Brooklyn at the age of 81. His best-known works were expansive, delicate sculptures crafted from metal wire, often described as airy tangles that evoked natural elements like nests or tumbleweeds.
These "flexible sculptures" challenged the traditional solidity associated with the medium. Saret's creations frequently incorporated mathematical patterns or free-form designs, and some were characterized by porous chicken wire that played with the viewer's perception of inside and outside.
Beyond his visual art, Saret's work was deeply influenced by his philosophical explorations. His time in India, particularly his encounters with Zen Buddhism and Vedanta, spurred an interest in unseen forces and the nature of self. This intellectual pursuit infused his art with esoteric titles and a focus on fundamental questions of existence.
Saret also produced captivating "gang drawings" using multiple colored pencils and composed short, mantra-like phrases called dharanis. Despite periods of withdrawal from the commercial art world, his work gained significant recognition, collected by major institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA.
