Critique the Collection vol.1: Spencer Montcalm

I like Sorel Etrog’s hinges. They’ve been stuck in my head for a while. They are quite motionless in both his sculptures and two-dimensional works. They don’t physically move anyway, yet clearly, they were meant to move, to flex, to pivot. The contrast between the stationary and that of would be moving parts mildly irritates me. “Just move,” I think whenever I see them.

Here in Reclining Figure Hinged, 1974-1975, Etrog added humanistic elements. The face looking right and the hinged arms flowing behind convey a sense of immediacy, almost like the figure is running out of the frame. Or are the strong hinges propelling the figure out? This immediacy seems exaggerated by the chaotic lines of orange and purple. I find it perplexing that Etrog uses such thick lines, such strong and heavy hinges to convey a figure that appears to move most naturally… and yet, not move at all.

Spencer Montcalm is a local art conservator that likes to get his fill of art. Due to COVID-19, this usually consists of visiting the Windsor Sculpture Park; outdoors and two meters away from runners. This is where his obsession of Etrog’s hinges began. He’s looking forward to spending some time at the AGW when the new normal comes.