“Looking at a sculpture requires seeing it from 360 angles. I’ve discovered working in the round means that a sculpture aesthetically is a success when it has a flow of energy that assures every part and element relates to one another, from every and all 360 viewpoints.

Every piece of metal found and collected must inspire me otherwise it will not be used. Each sculpture is unplanned and begins with the selection of one or two parts that seem to speak to one another. And then, with the initial intention of where a piece would or could be positioned, it changes with a slight shift of angle just as I begin to weld it. I am forced to remain open to the moment. This is the element of surprise and of discovery and play. More parts are welded together, with sharp awareness of the heat from my industrial tools. One must learn when there is enough and the conversation of the parts is finished. As the piece takes final form, it must be grounded and solid, considering where it may lie or hang.

I want to love the sculpture, to know it delights me and hopefully the viewer.”

— Mona Rutenberg