Aluminum

The figure has always been at the core of Louise McCagg’s work. Initially she focused on representations of the entire body and later on became more focused specifically on the face. At the beginning of her career, in the 70’s and 80’s, Louise often worked with cast aluminum. The majority of these works were of a smaller scale, such as Caught 1978 and Diving 1982, though sometimes those small works became studies for larger pieces, such as Beatrice 1982.  Overall, these works had an airy, almost levitating presence, often presenting the body in poses depicting balance, flight, and grace.