Art: Driftwood by Design

The sculpture of William Muir looks something like polished driftwood; but nature, with all her wisdom, cannot seem to match by accident what Muir shapes by design. With rasps, rifflers and chisels, he has liberated a splendiferous Eden filled with elegant new phyla of plant life. Now on view at Manhattan's Sculpture Center, Muir's subtly swiveling works exchange contours with the space that surrounds them, earning comparisons with the smooth biomorphic bulges that mark the sculpture of Arp, Moore and Brancusi.

Muir, 61, is a carver who penetrates a forest of woods: hard black...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!