57 William Corwin: Ladders (series

Intersecting Ladders, 2020, 19.5” x 12.75” x 2”, plaster and sand

William Corwin

In the first days of the unprecedented Covid pandemic, to prepare himself for editing a colleague’s series of essays on formalism, William Corwin jumped headfirst into Continental philosophy: Kant, Descartes, and Schoepenhauer. This philosophical deep dive was impetus for creating his series of ladders; he began to conceptualise human beings as ladders – ‘a ladder is a tool and a metaphor that moves us up step by step’ (Corwin). He began first by drawing the ladders and then he had a studio for a few months on Governors Island where he began casting them in plaster. He then spent a week in Pittsburgh with a sculptor friend working at a foundry, where he made the metal ones. Corwin’s series culminated in an exhibition, Green Ladder, at Geary Contemporary in New York from March through April, 2021. Corwin’s exploratory, researched-based approach to art-making is rarely exempt from philosophical inquiry. His work as curator, arts journalist and writer informs his thoughtful practice and collaborations.

Double Ladder, 2020, aluminum, 40” x 10” x 6”, edition of 1, no AP

Ladder with Broken Tread, 2020, bronze, 37.25” x 5” x 1.5”, edition of 1, no AP

Rustic Ladder (1), 2020, 15.25” x 6” x 3.25”, plaster and soil Ladder and Hand, 2020, aluminum, 15” x 9” x 5.25”, edition of 1, no AP

Angled Ladder, 2020, aluminum, 25” x 5.5” x 1.5”, edition of 1, no AP