Mowry Baden

Since 1982, Mowry Baden has been involved with works which have been called “task oriented sculpture.” In these works the viewer is asked to participate on a physical level by performing a task like riding a stationary bicycle or walking on a treadmill.

The Contemporary Art Gallery is presenting Baden's recent work Lariat Calais from June 2 to 25. This two-part work consists of a large cement mixer and a reconstructed silage spout with hydraulic mechanism. Baden's intention is to create analogies between physical experience and visual perception. Baden has said, "we refer to the body to know what we see,” this being the function of memory. Through his sculpture Baden, “put the body in real time”, not relying on memory which he feels is unnecessarily vague. Lariat Calais is a poetic summation of many of the concerns Baden has been working with over the years.