Artwork
Target Photon Sphere
Artist
William Maxwell
(b. 1947)
DepartmentContemporary Art
Date1983-1984
MediumMixed media on Fiberglas
Dimensionsdiam. 42 in. (106.7 cm)
Credit LineSan Antonio Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and HEB
Object number89.57
Label Text"Now, that spirit of a child, engulfed, timeless, totally
submerged in the moment of work and play, is what
I try to keep in touch with. I pursue whatever takes me
at the moment, knowing that eventually all this
seemingly schizophrenic behavior will provide a hybrid
of sorts. Focusing a magnifying glass on one point,
trying to blend science, personal mythology, and a dash
of magic, constantly shifting back and forth from
technical and scientific to playful and abstract, this is
my way to resolution."
William Jackson Maxwell
Maxwell viewed art making as a process of discovery. This spherical sculpture is from an installation that the artist approached as if he were an archaeologist on an excavation. In writing about the work, he made reference to a childhood memory of digging a hole in his backyard, hoping he would find his way to China. For Maxwell, the abstract patterning on the sphere was the equivalent of a mysterious hieroglyphics; only rather than be unearthed from an ancient civilization, this foreign language surfaced from his unconscious as he drew the imagery on the sphere in a free, spontaneous manner. In form, the script resembles theoretical notations that might be postulated by a physicist, with swirling lines suggesting invisible forces of energy.
(David Rubin, Label Text 2007)Exhibition HistoryFocus One, Contemporary American Sculpture: Selections from the Permanent Collection, February 14-August 2, 1992Not on view
Collections
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
