Off the Wall: Art in Three Dimensions

The KIA’s collection includes art that can literally and figuratively be described as “off the wall.” Over 65 free-standing sculptures and wall reliefs from the 1950s to the present demonstrate the 20th-century impulse to push the boundaries of fine art. Some artists created unexpected, abstract forms using traditional materials. Artists also dared to use commonplace or industrial materials that flaunted the conventions of fine art. Ceramicists made vessels unconstrained by functionality.

While a painting might present a two-dimensional illusion of the world, a three-dimensional work of art exists directly in your environment, making you interact with it as an object in your space. Beyond pushing boundaries, sculpture has the potential to dissolve distinctions between experience of art and daily life. Artists of national renown and regional acclaim in the exhibition include Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Rudy Autio, Peter Voulkos, Paul Flickinger, Al Lavergne, Karla Wyss-Tye, and more.

Come see what you think makes each of these works “off the wall.”