![Thomas Houseago, (Study for) Rockefeller Giant, 2013](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_1600,h_1600,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto/ws-artlogicwebsite0455/usr/images/artworks/main_image/items/e0/e00fde52cb9747c5868214330c1d5840/houseago_plaster_no-backgrnd.png)
Thomas Houseago
These imposing sculptures by artist Thomas Houseago were studies done in preparation for his Masks (Pentagon) artwork, famously unveiled at Rockefeller Plaza in 2015. The two towering eight-foot figures with bulky bodies and strong, yet awkward postures are identical save for their color and materials--one made of bronze and the other plaster. The sculptures are placed together side-by-side in this exhibition to emphasize the stark contrast in color between them despite the fact that they are essentially the same. The enigmatic faces Houseago create resemble ancient masks standing out as powerful symbols of isolation, discomfort, and vulnerability which further encapsulates the essence of the human condition. Houseago stated of the sculptures that “I wanted people to feel a human quality and struggle” when looking up at the figures, “and to think about what a face looks like.”