Sticky Wicket
Di Suvero executed Sticky Wicket during the 10th International Sculpture Conference at York University in 1978. This five-day event assembled critics, art historians, and artists from various corners of the world.
When Sticky Wicket was first created, di Suvero had a swing attached to the protruding I-beam that has since been removed. The swing evoked a sense of community as it invited viewers to physically engage with it. With the swing incorporated a sense of community as it invited viewers to engage with it. This invitation to engagement reflects di Suvero’s attempts to move sculpture from the confines of the studio, gallery, and museum atmosphere into open, public spaces.
As he commonly works with industrial images and materials, critics surmise that di Suvero’s sense of monumental scale is inspired by the California landscape, particularly San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. His work typically hinges on the fragile balance and tension between heavy girders, turnbuckles, and cables.
Sticky Wicket was donated to York University by the artist in 1979.