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Totemic Sculpture by Jaime Suarez
Photo CreditPhoto courtesy of McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc.
Totemic Sculpture
Photo CreditPhoto courtesy of McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc.

Totemic Sculpture

Artist
Year1993
Classification sculpture
Medium concrete and ceramics
Dimensions45 ft. tall, 30 in. diameter (1371.5 x 76.2 cm)
Credits Commissioned through the Art in Architecture Program
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration
Location

  • Totemic Sculpture is a monumental concrete cylinder embellished with hand built ceramic relief.  In this sculpture, Jaime Suarez has created a contemporary symbol, charged with the archaic splendor of primitive totems.  The retaking of archaic symbols to create a contemporary archeological image is a central theme of his work.  The surface treatment becomes a theme of opposites, where solid geometric symbols are superimposed over spontaneous gestures and calligraphy.


    Suarez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and received degrees from Catholic University, Washington, DC and Columbia University, New York City.  He has had a career in ceramics since 1972 and has become a leading figure in the field in Puerto Rico.  His works have been exhibited throughout the world and are included in museums in the United States, Europe and Latin America.  As an architect, sculptor and ceramist, Suarez produces images in which clay, erosion, time and ritual interact, creating a union with the multiple aspects of his work.