jim hodges: reflective boulder installation

'untitled' by jim hodges, 2011
installed at barbara gladstone gallery, new york
image by gladstone gallery
all images courtesy walker art center


new york-based installation artist jim hodges has created 'untitled', a major outdoor sculpture comprised of four massive boulders
with a half-steel skin to be arranged in a circle on a field. the boulders which comprise 'untitled' weigh between eight to thirteen tons
and all reach a height of more than six feet tall. each of the components feature a high-polished stainless steel surface upon a rock
in four shades including pink, blue, gold and lavender. the added skin of steel is melded to the surface of the boulder highlighting
the size and curves in the surface of each rock. the artist conceived of the installation as one in which the rocks would be configured
in a natural landscape in a circle. in this way that visitiors would walk between the boulders, the light refracting from the boulders'
reflective surfaces interacting with the movements of the gallery goer's form.

in order to create a smooth surface, body putty was first applied and then a mould was made from the stainless steel cast.
the rock surface was then chiseled in order to create texture for the steel veneers to adhere to. the steel sheets were painted
with a clear-coat and dye mixture, finally pinned to each massive rock. the result is a massive sculptural work that possesses
a sense of fluidity while also remaining intrinsically fixed. each boulder mirroring a natural shape while also rejecting and concealing its form.

'untitled' is part of a major retrospective of hodges' work to be displayed at walker art center in minneapolis, minnesota, USA
set in the minneapolis sculpture garden in 2013.



a detailed view of the sculpture



additional perspective of the surface



the deinstallation of 'untitled' at gladstone gallery
image courtesy gladstone gallery



to create a support system for the boulders during transportation, a steel i-beam system was developed
image courtesy gladstone gallery



the massive rocks range from 8 to 13 tons
image courtesy gladstone gallery



olga viso, walker art center executive director, discusses the installation of 'untitled' with art center staff
image by gene pittman, walker art center



the photo-composite of the upcoming outdoor installation
photo by cameron zebrun
photo composite by gene pittman



conceptual sketch of 'untitled' completed in 2011