Abigail Esman writes in Forbes about Richard Serra’s new work, 7, commissioned by the Qatar Museums Authority and built on a pier in Doha made specifically for the work:
Serra studied minarets “from Spain to Yemen” until discovering one from around the 10thcentury that had been designed, not cylindrically, as is the norm, but “in a planar fashion.” This became the basis for the piece, which was then further shaped – both literally and figuratively – by Serra’s discovery of the work of Persian mathematician and astronomer Abu Sahl al Quhi, who, following in the footsteps of Archimedes, had constructed a 7-sided figure within a circle. “I thought I could use my vocabulary and dovetail into the vocabulary of the Afghan minaret quite easily,” the artist recalled.
Curiously, Esman feels that “it is in the Middle East, surprisingly, that America’s most gifted are realizing the freedom and support to create some of the most magnificent works of their careers.”
America’s Master Creates His Masterpiece: Richard Serra’s “7” (Forbes)
