WP3: Pre-Writing Assignment 2

Torso, a bronze sculpture of the isolated torso of a woman’s body, was created in 1932 by the Lithuanian William Zorach.

Though this art-object that can be found in the UNL Sheldon Sculpture Garden is clearly made of bronze, Zorach’s original Torso was actually made using a material called Labrador Granite and later cast in its current bronze. This strong, stone material and the work he created within it was selected by Zorach, thus giving the audience of this art-object some idea as to who he might be as an artist, and possibly even as a person. This appeal to ethos, though obvious, gives the audience a clearer insight as to what aspects of this piece should be focused on and further analyzed. Labrador Granite is known for being extremely difficult to carve. This presents to the audience the idea that perhaps Zorach was up for a challenge in creating his version of the smooth and curvaceous figure of a woman through this difficult stone material. Furthermore, the fact that William Zorach chose to use Labrador Granite in the interpretation of the female form is a conundrum in and of itself. In art-objects that are more ancient that representing the female body, smoother materials such as marble, limestone, or some metals were utilized to make for an easier carve and a more true-to-life end product. Zorach’s selection is both unusual and telling of his persona as an artiste.

Moving on from speaking of Zorach’s intent, the current presentation of Torso in the Sheldon Sculpture Garden appeals to pathos through elements such as color and vectors of attention. As mentioned above, the sculpture is made of bronze. The color of this metal on Torso is mostly a deep brown, with some – not many – lighter and darker spots. This color, to me, gives off a different aesthetic than would silver, white, black, or any other. It seems more warm and welcoming. This feeling is also brought about by the small bits of discoloration on the sculpture. This deep brown color, though, automatically provokes within the audience the question, “Why?” I have not the answer to this question, but I do have my own feelings and interpretations. I see it as this is the way the presenters wanted women to be represented. Perhaps this color along with other aspects of the sculpture is used to present to the audience what the creator(s) might admire most in women, or the way they feel women should be represented through this particular piece. Sure this may be a stretch, but in my past experiences, I have learned that once an artist presents his completed work, it is open to any criticism or interpretation by its audience. The color of this sculpture is what provokes this aesthetic and these feelings, thus exhibiting to its audience an appeal to pathos. In addition to the element of color, vectors of attention are apparent in this work as well and also evoke emotion within the viewer. The “woman” is facing head-on, unafraid of coming obstacles and standing up straight, looking forward to the future and whatever may come her way. This created a feeling of pride within myself as a young woman viewing the work.