Space Plough II Sorel Etrog

Sorel Etrog
Space Plough II, 1990-98
Painted steel, 245 x 516 x 160 centimetres

Space Plough II provides another representation of Sorel Etrog's famous fascination with the industrial themes of the twentieth century. The piece asks us to reconsider its subject. It asks the viewer to try and bring machinery into the museum, to see that even the most utilitarian objects of our creation can possess artistic and expressive elements.

Space Plough II has a strong but simple steel construction with a basic triangular shape, and it is painted in that recognizable cautionary orange of heavy-duty industrial machinery. Etrog's trademark central hinge is also prominently featured. At first glance, the piece might look like something left behind by a road crew. A viewer might wonder, Is this just a plough? This is a justified first impression. But, Etrog makes us reconsider and ask a different set of questions with a different sort of emphasis: Is this just a plough? Or, Can a plough be art? These tools we have made and used to such great practical success - do they speak for us? Is this our art?