Seven Enigmatic Sculptures

NEW YORK—Lately I’ve found myself enjoying a whole range of enigmatic sculptures in New York. Whether in the uptown museums or Chelsea galleries, there are some splendid exhibitions currently on view.

None of the works I’ve gathered here simply “sits on its ass,” as Claes Oldenburg once put it: They clamber up walls, spill across floors, or pretend to be furniture, playthings, or manuscript pages. What they have in common is that they are static objects, or arrangements of objects, that await our contemplation: That is, they are all good old-fashioned sculptures, something that’s become harder to find as enthusiasm for interdisciplinary and technology-driven work has grown. In almost every other regard, however, these seven works could not be more different.

Click on the photo gallery to the left to see Robert's selections.