Torqued Ellipse IV

'Torqued Ellipse IV' is made from Cor-Ten steel, which is a type of weathering steel. This material is designed to rust over time, forming a protective coating that prevents further structural corrosion. The massive, tilted plates of steel give the sculpture its signature weight and industrial texture.

Richard Serra's massive steel sculptures are primarily housed in major modern art institutions and specific outdoor installations. 'Torqued Ellipse IV' is part of the permanent collection at the Dia:Beacon museum in New York. Visitors can walk through and around the sculpture, experiencing the disorienting spatial effects Serra intended.

Serra used massive shipbuilding presses, specifically those used to shape the hulls of large ships, to bend the Cor-Ten steel plates. This engineering technique allowed him to create the complex, spiraling forms that lean inward and outward without external supports. The process requires incredibly heavy machinery due to the thickness of the steel.

Walking inside a Torqued Ellipse is intended to create a physical and psychological sense of disorientation. As viewers navigate the tilted, curving walls, their sense of balance and spatial perception is altered by the massive scale of the steel. Serra designed these works to be experiential, where the viewer's movement through the space is the actual art.