Ali Baudoin, Skater of the Wind
Ali Baudoin
born 1949 Rochester, Minnesota; lives Albuquerque, New Mexico
Skater of the Wind
1994
stainless steel
Albuquerque Museum, museum purchase, 1997 General Obligation Bonds
PC2001.19.1
Skater of the Wind is made of hard rigid steel, yet the abstract form suggests a delicate and fluid sense of movement. Appearing to defy gravity the viewer is confronted with the height and tension of the sculpture. The diagonal lines gently guide the eye upwards. The changing light that is reflected on the surface transforms the sculpture throughout the day. The interaction between the positive space of the sculpture and the negative space around it is further revealed as light and weather conditions change.
Baudoin’s sculptures are made by joining sheared pieces of metal together to create monocoques, which are forms that bear their own weight through their external skin (such as an eggshell). Baudoin’s interests in engineering and Eastern art principles and philosophies are channeled into his work.