Larry Kagan: Object/Shadow

Larry Kagan’s sculpture simply defies description. Viewed without special lighting, his works of art appear to be abstract metal sculptures. The works of art are completed when strong lighting at a specific angle strikes the sculpture, creating shadows that depict objects, animals, and figures. Even when viewers see them close-up, they have difficulty understanding how his metal constructions cast these shadow images. He explains: “The term defines a condition wherein a solid component of the sculpture casts a specific shadow that completes the artwork. Sculpture traditionally relies on mass to create its form. Shadow-art derives primarily from the novelty of the silhouette. Object/shadow need both the solid and the shadow in order to exist. And, by virtue of their dual nature, they exhibit surprising visual behavior that defies our visualization rules for objects.”

Kagan has often watched gallery visitors reactions. “When the light isn’t on, you can imagine how their brain works. They are looking at abstract art. Then the light goes on, and they see the shadow and they laugh.” Object/shadow"is Kagan’s term for the new category of sculpture that he has developed for more than a decade. 

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website