Mask, Light and Shadow 

Julio González was a pioneer in the use of iron as a medium for sculpture. He cut, bent, and pounded iron rods and plates into different pieces that he then welded together to make his sculptures. He called this method "drawing in space." In this sculpture, a thick egg-shaped plate is cut along a zigzag line into two pieces which have been welded at a diagonal angle to a post from behind. The surface of the mask has a hammered finish and, depending on the angle and the way the light hits it, it exudes a rich texture. While traditional masks are made by sculpting a face itself, the face here is expressed in the void, the light and shade, and the dynamic lines that exist between the two pieces. This mask was cast in bronze from the iron original, and the bronze capably conveys the richness of its texture.
(NAKAMURA Naoaki)