Scorpio
Charles Ginnever
1990
MATERIAL:Â metal: bronze
DIMENSIONS:Â overall: 86 1/2 in x 175 in x 74 in
EDITION: Unique
CREDIT: Grounds For Sculpture, Gift of The Seward Johnson Atelier
© Artist's Estate, photo: Ken Ek
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Charles Ginnever's large bronze 'Scorpio' from his Planar series is composed of two flattened trapezoids hovering above ground and supported by a centered geometric configuration. Due to the angles and the welded seams in the metal sections, the visual reading of spacial depth becomes ambiguous when trying to determine if the trapezoids are flat or three-dimensional.
Ginnever actively pursued an interest in art while in college in California. After serving in the Air Force, he traveled to Europe and studied sculpture in Paris from 1953 to 1955 under Ossip Zadkine. Returning to California, he attended classes in photography under Ansel Adams, among others, while independently continuing to develop his talents in the field of sculpture. His early works from the sixties were made of steel scraps sometimes combined with canvas or other non-traditional materials and painted with patterns in vivid enamel hues. In the following years, Ginnever pared down his use of color and selection of materials, creating works that were deceptively more complex in composition. Geometric shapes, triangles, or trapezoids, were arranged to form optical illusions, challenging the viewer's visual perception and sense of space. During the 1960s and 1970s Ginnever also became an active participant in promoting and exhibiting art in public spaces.
