Asymmetrical Alignment (2012)

The minimal, geometric sculpture comprised of a stacked, recurring form and photographed atop a basic stool in Sara VanDerBeek's 'Asymmetrical Alignment' (2012) is covered in silver leaf. The structurally simple and elegant sculpture is completely overtaken by the complexity of the reflections of the natural light bounding, reflecting and refracting across its metallic surface. The streaming natural light washes out the upper corner of the sculpture, which seems to melt into the background, creating an almost M.C. Escher-like impression of an impossible construction which emanates a delicate luminosity.

Modernist masters such as Brancusi, Man Ray, and Alexander Calder, touchstones of inspiration for the artist, seem present here, particularly in the arena of the studio photograph. But VanDerBeek's ability to create an ethereal space from such simple means and her virtuoso ability to manipulate light and shadow, are entirely her own. Exacting and crisp, subtle and with a symphonic sensitivity to light, 'Asymmetrical Alignment' is a lambent and contemplative work of art.