by Artist (189)
James Surls
American, born 1943
"I See Five and Nine" is an excellent example of Surls’ work from the two decades (1977-97) he lived and worked in the piney woods near Splendora, north of Houston. The nine clusters of five-pointed floral “petals” radiating from the black metal central tendril are similar to other sculptures from this period, each of which undulates with a primal energy. For "I See Five and Nine", Surls assembled hand-carved, unpainted, pointed, redwood ovals into a complex composition, the regularity of which is not evident upon initial inspection. Moreover, the matte black and gray tones of the forms characteristic of his work of this period counter the vitality of the floral arrangement, and the relatively sharp edges of the smaller ovals suggest something sinister. The sooty black spots burned into those ovals and the charred finish covering most of the long, straight, cylindrical “stamens” add to the coarse character of the sculpture. This balance of dark and light, stillness and implied movement evoke questions about life and death, good and evil. In fact, Surls’ art often addresses such dichotomies, as well as issues of gender. This father of three daughters and step-father of four more recognizes yin and yang among the multiple balancing forces of nature, and he recognizes numbers as having effects that may be hard to enumerate.
In Surls’ own words, “Paradox is the godmother of my soul, giving me the difference between dark and light, marking the tight line stretching from the heavens in a flower, to the relativeness [sic] in the palm of my hand. Meaning comes only in connection with something that exists out there.”
American, born 1943
I See Five and Nine
1987
Object Type:
Sculpture
Creation Place:
North America, American, Texas
Dimensions:
85 in. x 90 in. x 87 in. (215.9 cm x 228.6 cm x 220.98 cm)
Medium and Support:
Charred redwood and painted steel
Accession Number:
1991.0009
Credit Line:
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Association Purchase
Currently On View
"I See Five and Nine" is an excellent example of Surls’ work from the two decades (1977-97) he lived and worked in the piney woods near Splendora, north of Houston. The nine clusters of five-pointed floral “petals” radiating from the black metal central tendril are similar to other sculptures from this period, each of which undulates with a primal energy. For "I See Five and Nine", Surls assembled hand-carved, unpainted, pointed, redwood ovals into a complex composition, the regularity of which is not evident upon initial inspection. Moreover, the matte black and gray tones of the forms characteristic of his work of this period counter the vitality of the floral arrangement, and the relatively sharp edges of the smaller ovals suggest something sinister. The sooty black spots burned into those ovals and the charred finish covering most of the long, straight, cylindrical “stamens” add to the coarse character of the sculpture. This balance of dark and light, stillness and implied movement evoke questions about life and death, good and evil. In fact, Surls’ art often addresses such dichotomies, as well as issues of gender. This father of three daughters and step-father of four more recognizes yin and yang among the multiple balancing forces of nature, and he recognizes numbers as having effects that may be hard to enumerate.
In Surls’ own words, “Paradox is the godmother of my soul, giving me the difference between dark and light, marking the tight line stretching from the heavens in a flower, to the relativeness [sic] in the palm of my hand. Meaning comes only in connection with something that exists out there.”
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