Weight in Space: Interview with Thaddeus Mosley

“I think my art—and almost any art that I like—is like a spiritual experience. It should give some delight, some joy. Even art that is controversial should arouse your senses in some way." –Thaddeus Mosley

In this interview, Thaddeus Mosley (b. 1926), a Pittsburgh-based contemporary artist, talks about his artistic inspirations, the aesthetic and practical reasons he was drawn to work in wood, and what he is looking forward to see in “the dance” between his work and Calder’s in "Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder" at the Seattle Art Museum.

Mosley, a contemporary sculptor inspired by modernist aesthetics and traditional African wood carvings, is recognized for his innovative concept of “weight in space,” in which sculptural forms appear to defy gravity. In Following Space, 17 of Mosley’s large-scale wooden sculptures are paired with five seminal artworks by Calder, who revolutionized modern sculpture by introducing movement to the medium.
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Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder
Nov 20 2024–Jun 1 2025
Seattle Art Museum
visitsam.org/calder