Profoundly influenced by the welded sculptures of Julio González and of Picasso, David Smith devoted himself entirely to metal sculptures, constructing compositions from steel and scrap material. Almost single-handedly, Smith changed the nature of sculpture in America, giving it a passion, a seriousness and an identity it did not previously possess. With his vision, courage and his exquisite aesthetic gifts, he paved the way for Donald Judd, Richard Serra and many other American sculptors, who elaborated upon his formal and conceptual innovations and accepted his challenge to work and act in ways that would assure that sculpture and sculptors in America would be treated with respect. Before Smith, sculpture was a marginal activity; after him, it was an essential part of the American imagination. Sarah Hamill, author of the book, besides selecting the writings and the previously unpublished interview with poet Frank O?Hara, wrote the central essay about the artist, drawing particular attention to the tradition of iron sculpture and the artist?s vital relationship with photography.
