Isaac Witkin, Hawthorne Tree, 1987

Trained by modern masters like Anthony Caro and Henry Moore, Witkin explored both physical and psychological landscapes in
his work, eventually developing a signature style of fluid and wildly organic bronze pieces. Rather than beginning with a drawing,
Witkin’s ideas were conceived three-dimensionally and generated from the free flow of molten metal drawn in beds of sand,
describing the process as “wresting order from chaos.”

Abstraction and figuration blend together in Hawthorne Tree. Reminiscent of a gnarled and thorny tree found in Witkin’s native
South Africa, this work is one of six variations in a series, each representing different aspects of magical transformation. The theme
is derived from a spell that was cast upon Merlin the Magician by a wood nymph, to whom he teaches his magic. The nymph goes
forth in the guise of Merlin while he rests under the shade of a hawthorne tree. By using bronze in an expressive way to mimic
nature’s way of form-making, Witkin has created a sculpture that is simultaneously grounded and atmospheric, enchanted and sacred.

Laumeier Sculpture Park Collection, Gift of Adam and Judy Aronson

Location: Way Field