Radius
twenty-four monoprints, mounted on twelve wooden panels, assembled in twelve connected steel structures monoprints; ink, paper and metallic foil. sculpture; wood and stee 22’ x 15’ x 9.5’ (264” x 180” x 114” 2013
The steel and wooden panels of Hager’s installation appear to reach out to encircle the viewer, offering an alternative space at odds with the larger room. Pitched off-kilter, the regimented shapes ordered by industrial materials and taut cables offer yet another contrast. On each dark panel, the soft glint of metallic foil makes visible organic shapes, reminiscent of an emerging human figure. The stability that we expect of steel construction is undermined not only by the precarious angle but also by the faint figures that compete for the viewer’s attention. Despite our predisposition to trust structures that resemble engineered works, we approach this large work with caution, preoccupied with the struggle of the forms against the framework, the framework against the wall.
Dr. Kelly Watt, Assistant Professor of Art History Washburn University
Arc
woodcut and collographic printed images on paper, mounted on constructed panels, installed on an arc-shaped steel structure.
ink, paper, metallic foil, wood, steel
384" x 24" x32" (32’ x 2' x 32")
2012
The power of simple geometry is becoming a fundamental part of my sculptures. Breaker, Pusher and Balancer display this aspect overtly. In fact, Arc is an echo of Balancer’s inverted arc. The low broad segment of a much larger circle gives this structure a feel of continuation. I felt very strongly that the curve of Arc was exactly circular, and not a reversed catenary curve (a catenary is a curve described as a line suspended between two points, such as a power line or the main cables of a suspension bridge). A catenary has two definite end points while a segment of a circle does not.
Basin
woodcut printed images on paper, mounted on constructed panels, installed on a shallow bowl-shaped steel structure.
ink, paper, metallic foil, wood, steel, cable
120” x 120” x 28” (10’ x 10’ x 28”)
2012
I have been told by a select few that I am a closet ceramist. I do love collecting ceramic art, both functional and sculptural. The simple geometry of a shallow basin shape has interested me for some time now. It is both functional (it can hold some material) and non-functional (it cannot hold a great deal of said material).
Flow
woodcut printed on plastic sheets, mounted on 12 prepared boxes with maps, affixed into steel structures, mounted on a wall as to cascade onto the floor. plastic, ink, maps, wood, steel 120” x 180” x 120” (10’ x 15’ x 10’) 2012
Flow is a transitional piece for me. I am beginning to use the physical structure of the work as an aesthetic element. How the sculpture is put together and the function of each of the varied materials used is plane to see (This also can be said about Basin). I enjoy letting the viewer explore the creative history of this sculpture.
Balance
woodcut monoprints with metallic foil, mounted on prepared panels, arranged on an inverted arc structure. paper, ink, metallic foil, wood, steel 192” x 32” x 48” (16’ x 2’6” x 4’) 2012
The making of Balance presented me with a fundamental question. At what point does the supportive sculptural structure become just a means to display my prints? I dealt with this conundrum for over a year with this work. I felt that the printed images did not go well with the inverted arc, making me question my approach with combining prints with sculptures. Ultimately, geometry came to the rescue with the addition of the strong graphic drawings on the prints.