Renowned artist Richard Serra to speak the language of sculpture

World-renowned sculptor Richard Serra, described by an art expert as "one of the most important artists of the 20th century," will speak today at 5 p.m. in McCosh 50 about his work and life as an artist. The New York Times has hailed him as the world's greatest living sculptor.

One of Serra's most recent sculptures, The Hedgehog and the Fox, was installed last November in front of Jadwin Gymnasium.

Serra said that members of the University community should expect a "very personal talk" in which he will explain his sources of inspiration and the thought process that goes into his work.

"I deal with traces of my own memory: solutions attempted, questions, contradictions . . . changes that occurred in my development," Serra said.

To the lay observer, he added, The Hedgehog and The Fox may appear as little more than a large, sleekly-cut piece of rusted metal.

"Walk through it," Serra said. "It's not like a still life, where it's the apples on the table. The experience of the subject is the piece itself. Without the interaction, there is no piece."

Jeffrey Weiss, curator of modern and contemporary art at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and professed admirer, said, "It's hard to underestimate [Serra's] significance. He's a towering figure, one of the most important by far."

Serra's career spans some 40 years since the mid-1960s. His works, made largely of steel and lead, can be found in nearly every major gallery around the world, from London and Paris to New York City and Los Angeles. While his sculptures vary in size and are fashioned for both the indoors and outdoors, Serra is best known for his monolithic outdoor sculptures, some standing as tall as 30 feet.

In recent years, Serra has continued to work on his art. This week he finished the installation of two new works, called "torque spirals," which were installed in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.

"His work has a kind of gravity and depth of expression that few other artists' work has. He has created forms that have never been produced before in sculpture or architecture," Weiss said. "He invented a new language for sculpture following a generation of minimal art.

"He brought a new kind of psychological and physical expressive power to modern art," Weiss added.

The pieces, which Serra said take "anywhere from two years to one year to eight years to create," are site-specific, meaning that they were created with a particular location in mind. The Hedgehog and the Fox was originally planned for another site on campus, but was moved to Jadwin. In the process, the walls were raised to facilitate stadium traffic.

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Serra pioneered "process art," a style of art that focused more on the production process rather than the final piece.

"His work is visual, but it also has an impact on the way you feel and how you physically relate to the work and the space around you," Weiss said. "It energizes your experience of those spaces. That's why it's so powerful, so original, so hard to describe."

"It's physical and corporeal at the same time. But ultimately, it's psychological," he added.

Carol Rigolot, executive director of the Humanities Council, which is sponsoring the lecture, said that Serra "seemed like a particularly appropriate choice this year," because of the installation of the sculpture last year. "It's a good way for the campus community to hear him speak."

The piece that sits outside Jadwin was donated by Peter Joseph '72, who commissioned the $1 million sculpture in honor of his two children.

"I couldn't recommend [Serra's lecture] enough," said Weiss. "It's almost a privilege to hear him speak."

After The New York Times called him the world's greatest living sculptor, Serra said, "I don't think about it. Those things change decade by decade, even year by year. I'm not involved in a popularity contest."