Portfolio
Striding Figure II (Ghost)

2012
Bronze and steel,
15' 6 1/2" x 95" x 12' (473.7 x 241.3 x 365.8 cm)
Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth, London

A significant and recurring theme for Houseago is the walking figure; a grouping of these sculptures is assembled in this exhibition. Although these monumental sculptures depict a forward sense of motion, they are meant to be seen from all sides. The shaped, flat planes of Houseago's figures are reminiscent of those in the abstract sculptures of Alexander Calder, several of which are visible from this exhibition, just down the slope of Museum Hill. Vine- and branch-like forms within the composition come to the fore when Striding Figure II (Ghost) is sited outdoors. This work's title refers to legendary redemptive and retributive ghosts from literature, for example, Don Giovanni's Commendatore and Hamlet's father.