
Collection Online as of June 25, 2022
(American, 1943-1987)
Etched glass and wire
Diameter: 59 cm (23 1/4 in.); Overall: 228.6 cm (90 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Porter 1982.345
not on view
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Christopher Wilmarth rejected the rational precision that motivated much minimalist sculpture. He preferred instead to work intuitively in a more expressive style.
Particularly interested in the ephemeral quality of glass, he exploited its unique characteristics. Wilmarth wrote, "My work does not spell out, nor does it illustrate meaning. It is an instrument of evocation and requires as catalyst the soul of a sensitive person to engage its process of release, its story, its use." In Skywriter, Wilmarth used both clear and etched glass along with metal wire to produce a subtle interplay between shadow and illumination.