Willard Boepple's Sculptures Challenge Perception at Lori Bookstein Fine Art

From October 26 to December 9, 2006, Lori Bookstein Fine Art in New York City presented ten sculptures by Willard Boepple. The exhibition featured works in resin, paper, and wood, with five resin pieces noted for their translucency. Boepple's sculptures, including "Ways and Means" (2002) and "Gearless" (2002), initially resemble utilitarian objects like tables or speaker cabinets but reveal complex interiors upon closer inspection. Their formal qualities involve cylindrical, rectilinear, or box-like exteriors contrasted with variegated interiors containing shifting planes and interstices. Viewing requires multiple angles, as no single perspective offers immediate comprehension, forcing a phenomenological engagement where details emerge gradually. The resin sculptures distort internal lines like objects seen underwater, while wood pieces create tension by denying physical entry to visible interior spaces. These non-pictorial, non-narrative works emphasize an intimate scale that intensifies looking, rewarding viewers who piece together their intricate, aloof spatial divisions. A review of this show first appeared in the New York Sun on November 30, 2006.