Nathaniel
Hesse Recent Work September 9 @ Sculpture Ranch
Opening September 9, 5:00 p.m.
On September 9,
2006, The Sculpture Ranch will host a one-man show of its founder’s
work. Nathaniel Hesse
opened his ranch as a venue for large-scale outdoor work four years
ago. After showcasing some of Santa Fe’s best talent, Hesse
is giving himself a turn. A sculptor’ssculptor, Hesse is is
an abstract artist of the Old School.
His
work is bold, original, and rigourous. Hesse has been on the scene,
and behind it, since he came here to head the fabrication department
at Shidoni in 1991. He is now showing a decade of work at his ranch
on the south side of town.
The center piece
of the show is a giant reclining nude, “Henry’s Girl,”
dedicated to Henry Moore, with a nod to David Smith and a wink to
Marcel Duchamp. This is the only remotely figurative piece in the
show.
The
rest of his work is, in a highly controlled fashion, wildly abstract.
Based on complex geometry and simple shapes, his pieces are bold, elegant,
whimsical at times, at others sober. The monumental “Persona”
in steel is a classic example of Hesse’s geometry: a configuration
of circle-triangle-and-square that turns up in much of his work. Mr.
Hesse’s outdoor work will be shown in the Sculpture Ranch field,
while the gallery will show his more intimate art: including bronzes,
mobiles, and wall-pieces.
A graduate from
the Rhode Island School of Design, Mr. Hesse has shown widely across
America and in France. He is member of the Santa Fe Arts Commission,
a mentor at the Monte de Sol Charter School, and a seminal figure
in the Santa Fe sculpture world.
