King of Spades by Ray Katz

Abstract. In a word, revered, veteran sculptor Ray Katz describes his compositions – most especially this year’s entry King of Spades – as “(My sculpture is) abstract – the abstract manipulation of form in space to create visual balance, using rhythm, action and movement.” The Michigan metal man continues, “My creative process requires organizing separate parts into a whole. I first fabricate all separate, solid, active pieces, and then let the process of creating happen organically and quite spontaneously, very instinctively and intuitively.” The puzzle-like assemblage “adds to the aura of complexity in the work. These activated forms are brought together to represent the flux of life and embrace transformative concepts such as evolution, metamorphosis and transcendence. This is what continually inspires me, continually allows me to ground to explore,” Katz concludes.