Most of the work produced by artist Aaron Spangler involves ancient techniques of wood carving. His earlier work involved three-dimensional bas-relief panels carved out of basswood planks using basic chisels and hand tools. The works are generally finished with black gesso and graphite. The work shown here, entitled Bog Walker, is Spangler’s first bronze. He used this traditional process to create a wood sculpture, which was used to create a plaster mold, which was then filled with the molten metal. The work is mysterious and sensual, appearing like a dark, headless amalgamation of human body parts, fused then tattooed with a series of cryptic markings and symbols. The thoughtful positioning of the piece adds to its power. It sits at the convergence of three pathways where the stark 2005 Herzog and de Meuron addition to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis meets the original monolithic brick building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes.
Spangler’s work is inspired by American culture, the Midwestern landscape, natural phenomena and his encounters with the wilderness. The title, Bog Walker, speaks to the geological history of the land the work sits on — a marsh along the once unpredictable banks of the Mississippi. The surreal figure and its markings exude strife, the aftermath of a battle. This is a reoccurring theme in his work, using combat as metaphor for what he considers the devastating phycological conflict, emerging anarchy and new forms of imperialism in rural America. Through his work Spangler envisions a “fascinating and frightening revolution against the passive consumerism of the people, by the people … pitting the rural wilderness against modern urbanism.” Appearances can be deceiving: The rural Midwest is one of the most industrialized, ordered and controlled environments in the world. As we succeed in mastering and bending the natural environment to our will, we find that the most dangerous, untamed wilderness lies within.