Balancing Act: Three Sculptures by William King
August 1, 2020 - October 4, 2020
The Heckscher Museum’s collection of sculptures by William King addresses themes at the heart of human experience. From just a few thin pieces of interlocking metal, the artist created compositions that are both playful and perilous. Two figures in Us (1996) join hands to support a child while stabilizing each other. The dynamic performers in Parasol (1996) balance risk and trust to spectacular effect. Lithe and lighthearted, Adam and Eve (1996) frolic in paradise before their fall from grace. In these sculptures, King distills the comfort, joy, and vulnerability that human connection can bring.Â
East Hampton artist William King (1925–2015) began making sculpture in the 1940s as a student in New York City. Over the course of seven decades, he fashioned distinctive figures from materials including wood, clay, bronze, plaster, aluminum, and cloth. King was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2003 and received The International Sculpture Center’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
