Richard Serra’s Sequence
Richard Serra’s Sequence occupies the west gallery of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum alone, and activates the entire space with its curving, monochromatic mass. The sheer scale of the piece, along with the kinetic energy it creates, oxymoronically, through its static form, would seem to prohibit the inclusion of any other accompanying pieces in the gallery. Therefore, one is left to confront and experience the piece without distraction.
Sequence is made from the same torqued steel that Serra has been using as his material of choice for the past few decades. His mastery of the material is evident in this sculpture. Monumental torqued steel pieces are fitted together to create a curving maze of sorts.
The viewer is at first confronted with the overall mass of the piece and the visual compositions created from the angular and curving mass on the outside. Seeing an opening, Serra’s piece invites the viewer to enter the sculpture, thereby controlling the viewer’s experience while making the piece interactive. Once inside the “walls” of the sculpture, the viewer is directed along a continuously curving path of reddish hued steel. The visual sensation of hugging the continuous inside curve of the wall is quite exciting and at times dizzying. The viewer can never see what is coming ahead as the visual edge of the curve never changes position in the viewer’s scope of vision; however the viewer’s position is constantly changing. The “entrances” and “exits” to the sculpture provide pleasing visual experiences as the sculpture’s shapes form angular, asymmetrical compositions against the white gallery walls. Furthermore, their narrow openings cause a sensation of being squeezed by the material which is quite visceral.
Serra’s work is about material and the perception of the material. With Sequence, the viewer is certainly aware of the weight of the material and the precarious nature of having heavy steel curve around them. Aside from the masculine nature of the material and weight, the piece is truly beautiful to look at and experience. The monochromatic reddish hue of the steel along with the sinuous lines created by the structure of the piece provide a perfect complementary experience to that of the heaviness and banality of the material used solely to create this monumental piece.