WP3: Pre-Writing 2

The sculpture I have chosen is SANDY: in Defined Space by Richard McDermott Miller of the year 1967. This sculpture captured my attention because of the way the sculpture functions from many different perspectives of the viewer. This is provided by the fact that the woman is captured within a cube that is formed by the frames that directly surround her and also seem to surround her, depending on the perspective of the viewer.

Logos is employed through this alternative perspectives because it seems to me that there are also different visual hierarchies for each perspective. Looking at the sculpture from directly in the front is interesting because of the way the two box frames work together. The one closer to the viewer appears larger and then encapsulated in that is the second frame, which itself encapsulates SANDY. This puts the focus directly on her and on the state that she is in. This seems to emphasize the trapped feeling of the sculpture.

When looking at her head on, as if I am making eye contact with her, I found that the detail that is provided in her facial expression and demeanor is somewhat lost when looking from further away. Her eyes are almost closed and her other body language makes it seem like it's from exhaustion. Her mouth is set in a way that could be interpreted as either in defiance or in defeat. Her shoulders are slumped and her body is caving in on itself because of the fact that she is trapped in a box. This arrangement speaks to the title of the piece of Defined Space. The arrangement of her legs seems to be set in a way that she is either trying to fight back or just in a position that would be the most comfortable in dealing with the fact that she is trapped.

I feel that the ambiguity in how you can interpret her body language is an appeal to pathos because of what I believe the sculpture is about. The first thing I thought of was the struggle of women against society because the fact that SANDY is a woman is obviously defined and detailed. I think Miller made this clear because of this. Thus, the ambiguity of her body language interpretation is almost an analogy for the different reactions of women to the oppression that society has imposed on them. Some women fight back and want to get out of the box. Some women give up the fight and are in a state of defeat.

I also find it curious that her hands and feet seem to be large in proportion to the rest of her body. They are what seem powerful about her in addition to her legs and arms that also seem strong. However she cannot show her strength because of the fact that she is trapped, and her legs, as previously mentioned, are a source of interpretation of what she is doing because of their position. I look forward to further examining SANDY so that I can further establish how I myself interpret her position and body language in relation to her situation of being trapped.