Ursula von Rydingsvard American, born in Germany, 1942-

For Paul, 1990-92 / 2001; Cedar and graphite 172 x 108 x 164"

This monumentally scaled, unique wood sculpture evolved in three separate stages between 1990 and 2001. The work's seed is its bottom-honeycombed layer was created and exhibited in 1990, but lay in her studio for two years, at which point she returned to it and began building walls up around its twelve openings, eventually absorbing the low piece into a tall, multi-bowl, undulating structure over 14' high, work, completed in 1992. Titled For Paul, it was included in von Rydingsvard's first museum exhibition, which was held at the Storm King Art Center in the same year. The work was finished in 2001 when the artist added three feet to its elevation, enhancing views into the work from above and adding emphasis to its presence in the landscape. Using 4" x 4" milled cedar beams as her modules, the artist constructed the work in her characteristic methodical, detailed manner-one beam at a time, cut, stacked and ultimately secured internally and glued in place. The surface was finished by rubbing powdered graphite into the cedar, a technique she pioneered in the late 1970s. For Paul embodies adjectives that are often used to describe von Rydingsvard's early childhood in Germany, where she was shunted to eight displaced persons camps in five years: containment, structure, rhythm, and drama. This sculpture epitomizes the tension between the containment and expression of emotion. Von Rydingsvard merges the subjective approach of Abstract Expressionism with the modular, gridded format of Minimalism, creating a scarred surface that suggest both a psychological landscape and the forces of natural erosion.