Dodge

Artist: Eric Stephenson

Medium: Welded stainless steel

Year: 2015

Directions to this Sculpture

Dodge

“As bodies interact in space, they create an unspoken and obscured language. Yet, for the most part, this information is lost in the distractions of life. I seek to capture those moments so we can rediscover energies we put out into the world.”

Eric Stephenson explores the form, spirit, and experience of the body (human and otherwise) rendered through abstraction and informed by industrial materials and methods. Stephenson begins his design process by defining graphic silhouettes of the body in motion. He then expands these angular lines and shapes into “a three-dimensional mass that can be pushed and pulled to exaggerate and communicate a sense of motion and weight.” The resulting sculptures, according to Stephneson, are “best seen when the forms are located within the public realm, where they mingle with others and begin the subtle conversations that only the subconscious can hear.” 

Take a moment to breathe deeply and focus not only on the sculpture but also on the space around it and between you. What movements do you detect? What conversations do you hear?

Eric Stephenson is a fifth-generation artist. He received his BFA from the Pennsylvania State University and MFA from the University of Houston, and in 2014 completed a SIM Residency in Reykjavik, Iceland, before honing his craft as a studio assistant for Robert Fisher, James T. Martin, and Richard Hunt. Stephenson has worked in art foundries in Montana, Texas and Massachusetts and taught at the Glassell School of Art in Houston, University of Houston, and Art Institute of Chicago. Also an advocate for public sculpture, Stephenson was president of Chicago Sculpture International from 2011-2015. See more of Stephenson’s work at ericwstephenson.com.

Stephenson is influenced by Umberto Boccioni’s 1913 sculpture Unique Forms of Continuity in Space and the artist’s “ability to imply motion while capturing a static moment.” Click here to learn more about the sculpture, the artist, and the Futurist movement. How does Boccioni’s sculpture compare to Dodge?

KAC’s biennial invitational returns this summer with new guest curators, interactive art experiences, and locations all over town. To learn more and find a complete listing of related programs, click here.

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