American sculptor Richard Serra’s interest in steel grew from early visits to scrap metal yards and boatyards. The use of this industrial material as a malleable medium, which can be manipulated to produce seemingly fluid forms, became Serra’s hallmark, exemplified by three steel sculptures that can be found throughout Glenstone’s expansive grounds: Sylvester, 2001, at the Gallery’s entrance; Contour 290, 2004, in the meadows, and Four Rounds: Equal Weight, Unequal Measure, 2017, along the Woodland Trail. In addition to steel, Serra has worked with a multitude of other unconventional materials throughout his prolific career, including vulcanized rubber and neon tubing, as seen in To Lift, 1967, and White Neon Belt Piece, 1967, also in Glenstone’s collection.

–Amani Lewis, from the Glenstone Field Guide