Returning for his second consecutive competition class, Mississippi Delta native and Delta State University graduate, Lawson King has been apprenticing for public art veteran and venerable sculpture rock star, Ray Katz – also a fellow exhibitor, this year. “Ray and I met at the previous installation here in Cleveland, and it was quick. We were bonded right away; he’s an amazing soul and an inspiration – a true mentor,” King lauds. “My time in Pontiac (Michigan) has taught me so much, I’m learning everyday about my craft, my desires, my vision – everything really.” Those lessons learned are in full display in his newest piece, Hold On/Let Go. Challenging himself more than he has with any other piece, this 12 foot, fiberglass and steel tubing construct offered King fertile ground to survey his newest thematic exploration – control. “I think the balloon in the piece is metaphoric; it represents our desire to hold on, to think we are in control; but a balloon can slip out of our hands quickly. So is it better to surrender control, to let go?”
Hold On / Let Go by Lawson King
