Rearing Stallion

This wire sculpture, Rearing Stallion, was on display in the East Building of the National Gallery of Art. The craftsmanship of the horse is amazing, even though the sculpture is composed of several lengths of wire. From the precisely bent angles required to form the hooves and the muzzle to the painstakingly coiled wire forming the mane and tail to the gently swooping curves of the hind legs and chest, Alexander Calder, the sculptor, has constructed the stallion to look as seamless as possible, a work of art that stands on its own.

The intriguing thing about this work of art is that the shadows the lighting creates are as much a part of the sculpture as the sculpture itself. The shadows give the relatively two-dimensional figure an element of depth, which greatly increases the visual appeal of Rearing Stallion.

As is with all design, it is not just the product that makes the product. The process is the most important, because that is where one can find the real craftsmanship in the making of the creation. Sometimes, as is with Rearing Stallion, the right lighting adds the perfect touch that one can't imagine what it would look like without a shadow here, or a highlight there. The consumer, the audience, society always adds the final touches with their imagination or their perspective. And that is what design is: more than the sum of its parts.