Untitled (Abstract Sculpture)
James Messana studied Architecture at the University of Detroit. He realized sculpture was his true calling and studied for eight years with sculptor Frank Varga Sr. “When I started my studies in sculpture as a teenager, I was not aware of what an amazing expression of one’s thoughts and feelings art could be. My sculpture, therefore, is how I have communicated my thoughts throughout the years and my interpretations of the world around me. The interpretation takes form with suggestions of growth, evolution, change – consistently dynamic. Forms evolve from other forms, recede, are born again into something new. That is how I view the world and have attempted to show it as such.”
Leslie Mio
Associate Registrar
Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research
November 2023
Width: 9 1/8 in (23.2 cm)
Depth: 3 5/8 in (9.2 cm)
ProvenanceMelvyn Maxwell and Sara Stein Smith (1969–1984)
Sara Stein Smith (1984–1990)
Robert N. and Anne F. Smith (1990–1997)
Melvyn Maxwell and Sara Smith Foundation (1997–2007)
The Towbes Foundation (2007–2017)
Cranbrook Educational Community (2017–present)
Credit LineCranbrook Center for Collections and Research
Cultural Properties Collection, Smith House
Gift of The Towbes Foundation
Medium / MaterialsCast concrete on a painted wood base
SignedVerso, near base, incised: '69 Messana
GenreObject TypeSculpture (visual works)
