Julian Wild

Description

System 19 continues a long series of Wild's sculptures in which he lends three-dimensionality to the line. Using an intricate weave of steel rods, the sculptures are drawn into loops and meshes, like a line drawing, until a larger shape emerges. The use of cylindrical steel rods, however, lend this graphic style body and presence, removing them from the world of paper and creating a strong sculptural voice.

As the viewer approaches the towering structure of System 19, a freestanding spider's web gives way to a shining mesh. The unbelievable morphs into the human made. The work is simultaneously intriguing and multi-faceted. The seemingly chaotic reveals itself as intricate logic, the random as patterned. The steel lends it an industrial texture and the purposeful nature of its construction leads the viewer to question its function. Is it merely a shining folly, a net with which to catch the sunlight? Is this a part of some hidden mechanism; a futuristic machine to do we know not what? Or is it a visual representation of some brilliant thought - a mathematical theory incarnate?

Above all, System 19 is beautiful. The sharp lines and harsh cross-hatching convey a smooth circle. The shining steel stands sharp against its verdant surroundings. These contrasts draw the viewer towards the piece, moving the eye across each meeting of lines, each crossroad and each undulation in the constructed disk. As it catches the light, this sculpture mirrors the beauty of nature, in which the logical and chaotic meet. Like a spider's web, it reveals the designs and patterns inherent in all life.