Famous for sculptures that feature water as the primary medium and subject, William Pye began experimenting with reflections in his sculptures by creating tubular works from chrome plated steel. Typical of his earlier works, Pye’s Ringed Relief utilizes the mirrored surface to enhance and inform the curvilinear forms. According to Pye, he has “always been seduced by the appeal offered by reflection, whether it be off a still lake or a piece of polished stainless steel.”^* By virtue of the material from which it was made, Ringed Relief is in a constant state of flux—the mirrored image changes in response to its surroundings and depends on the location, time of day, and who or what is in front of it. The viewer is incorporated into the image and becomes part of the work, appearing on both the flat and rounded surfaces.  

 

Industrial yet playful, Pye welded together standard components of industrial-grade steel tubing that were then plated in chrome. This wall-hung relief inhabits a space between painting and sculpture. The flat, smooth, uncolored surface of the chrome enhances the minimalism of the form; yet reflected microcosms are repeated and distorted in the raised rings and spheres. Ringed Relief is the first work by the renowned British sculptor to enter the Davis collections and is on exhibit on the fifth floor of the museum.

 

 

^*William Pye: Works from the 1960s & 1970s, England and Co: 2008, pg. 4.