Isaac Witkin internationally renowned modern sculptor, was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on 10 May 1936, and he died 23 April 2006. Witkin entered Saint Martin's School of Art in London in 1957. Studying under Sir Anthony Caro and alongside other luminaries in training such as Phillip King, William G. Tucker, David Annesley and Michael Bolus, Witkin learned and helped create a new style of sculpture that led to their being called the New Generation of sculptors when their innovating abstract forms of modern sculpture reached and changed the art world. Witkin's work, abstract works of usually brightly colored fiberglass or wood, in particular was noted for its "witty, Pop-Art look".
"Isaac Witkin rejected the idea that the human figure is necessary to sculpture, and instead explored abstraction in his work. The sculpture consists of welded steel plates painted bright orange. Each plate has an irregular geometric shape, some straight and rigid and others elegantly curved. The sheets slice into one another, delicately balancing on precise contact points. Their sharp edges pierce the space around them, as if Witkin is not only carving the sculpture but also carving air. The overlapped and stacked forms allow for a constantly changing play of light and shadow, assuming different configurations based on the viewing angle. Witkin had a consistent interest in how the scale of a sculpture can be determined by its relationship to the human body. He once stated that “I aim to establish a freedom to move in multiaxial space in a way that draws the spectator in and around the sculpture to experience different aspects of an evolving dynamic.”
"Isaac Witkin rejected the idea that the human figure is necessary to sculpture, and instead explored abstraction in his work. The sculpture consists of welded steel plates painted bright orange. Each plate has an irregular geometric shape, some straight and rigid and others elegantly curved. The sheets slice into one another, delicately balancing on precise contact points. Their sharp edges pierce the space around them, as if Witkin is not only carving the sculpture but also carving air. The overlapped and stacked forms allow for a constantly changing play of light and shadow, assuming different configurations based on the viewing angle. Witkin had a consistent interest in how the scale of a sculpture can be determined by its relationship to the human body. He once stated that “I aim to establish a freedom to move in multiaxial space in a way that draws the spectator in and around the sculpture to experience different aspects of an evolving dynamic.”
