Steely Gaze
Taking its title from a Richard Rodgers song written for the musical Oklahoma, Israeli-born, London-based artist Ron Arad’s work – Oh, the Farmer and the Cowman Should be Friends – alternates between different forms of steel: rough and smooth, reflective and matte.
The piece, which measures 351.8 by 570.2 by 40cm, demonstrates a remarkable command of form and technique. Fabricated in 2009, the installation can be used as a bookshelf. Fetching US$298,000 (RM1.25 million) at a Phillips auction in New York in June, we wonder how its new owner intends to display/utilise it.
