Bearing Figure with Amphora

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Bearing Figure with Amphora

Artist Howard Ben Tré (American, 1949-2020)

Date1995-1997

DimensionsH: 84 in. (213.4 cm); Max W: 36 in. (91.4 cm); Depth: 18 in. (45.7 cm)

MediumCast colorless low-expansion glass, gold leaf inclusion, patinated cast bronze, granite casing.

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LineGift of Georgia and David K. Welles

Object number

2003.57

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Sculpture Garden

Label TextIs this a purely abstract sculpture? Or does this work represent a person falling, running, sliding, or perhaps even standing on his or her head? Joel Shapiro said, “Form is a surrogate for the individual artist, and form as a reflection of the artist is always there, even in the most abstract work. There is a figural component in all work…I see it as a metaphor for the artist’s mind and body and sense of self.” Shapiro’s sculpture invites various interpretations. Instead of making figures with clearly defined limbs, he allows his blocky sculpture to suggest a human figure with a wide range of gestures. What do you see the figure doing?Published ReferencesDanto, Arthur C., et al. Howard Ben Tré, New York, Hudson Hills Press, 1999, fig. 25, p.66-67, repr. (col.) p. 67.

Vallongo, Sally, "Opening the Door: A Conversation with Georgia and David Welles," Sculpture, vol. 22, no. 8, Oct. 2003, repr. (col.) p.51.

Lynn, Martha Drexler, Sculpture, Glass, and American Museums, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005, pp. 203, 206, repr. (col.) p. 207.

Page, Jutta-Annette, The Art of Glass: Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio, Toledo Museum of Art, 2006, p. 220, repr. (col.) p. 221.