Raw Material

Curator John Zarobell discusses the surprising use of materials in Joel Shapiro's "Untitled." Part of SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden audio tour.

Curator John Zarobell on how the figures in Juan Muñoz's "Conversation Piece" got their shape, and what it feels like to relate to them. Part of SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden audio tour.

Artist Ranjani Shettar discusses the meaning behind her choices of material and process in her sculpture "Me, no, not me, buy me, eat me, wear me, have me, me, no, not me." Part of SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden audio tour.

Artist Ranjani Shettar on the many lives of objects, and how they are expressed in her sculpture "Me, no, not me, buy me, eat me, wear me, have me, me, no, not me." Part of SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden audio tour.

Curator Alison Gass discusses Louise Bourgeois' interest in spiders, and how the cluster in "The Nest" looks and feels in space. Part of SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden audio tour.

Artist Kiki Smith discusses how her sculpture "Virgin Mary" reflects her interests in anatomy and Catholic iconography. Part of SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden audio tour.

Curator John Zarobell on the multiple forms that reference the history of sculpture in Henry Moore's "Large Torso Arch." Part of SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden audio tour.

Curators Apsara DiQuinzio and Gary Garrels explore how Mario Merz's simple material and construction choices give his sculpture "The Lens of Rotterdam" multiple layers of meaning. Part of SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden audio tour.

Curators Gary Garrels, Alison Gass and Peter Samis discuss the spiritual background behind Barnett Newman’s "Zim Zum I." Part of SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden audio tour.

Curator Gary Garrels discusses the different ways in which Ellsworth Kelly's "Stele I" marks the passage of time. Part of SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden audio tour.

Curators Janet Bishop and Gary Garrels on Alexander Calder's playful sensibilities, and the ways in which this sculpture responds to its environment. Part of SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden audio tour.

Artist Chris Johanson discusses "The Sunlight of the Spirit is the Warmth of Love" (2004), a monumental commission he created for SFMOMA. The piece is currently on view in SFMOMA's 5th Floor galleries as part of the exhibition "Between Art and Life: The Contemporary Painting and Sculpture Collection," which runs May 10, 2009 - January 03, 2010.

Artist Glenn Ligon discusses his exhibition "Glenn Ligon: Day of Absence." Organized in 1997, the show featured works that explored group and individual identity in the context of social protest. Ligon's painting "We're Black and Strong (I)" (1996) is part of this body of work. The piece is currently on view in SFMOMA's 5th Floor galleries as part of the exhibition "Between Art and Life: The Contemporary Painting and Sculpture Collection," which runs May 10, 2009 - January 03, 2010.

SFMOMA Artcasts: March 2009 features three artists whose work explores the impact of politics and history on individual lives. "Art in the Atrium" artist Kerry James Marshall shares the art historical roots of his interest in representing the unseen, and describes how this impulse shaped his recent mural commission for SFMOMA. Photographer Judith Joy Ross speaks about the genesis of "Protest the War," her recent portrait series documenting anti-Iraq War demonstrators, and describes the connections she makes with her subjects. Finally, Photographer Leo Rubinfien shares the personal narrative behind his series "Wounded Cities," which depicts residents of places that have recently experienced terrorist attacks.

SFMOMA Artcasts: March 2009 features three artists whose work explores the impact of politics and history on individual lives. "Art in the Atrium" artist Kerry James Marshall shares the art historical roots of his interest in representing the unseen, and describes how this impulse shaped his recent mural commission for SFMOMA. Photographer Judith Joy Ross speaks about the genesis of "Protest the War," her recent portrait series documenting anti-Iraq War demonstrators, and describes the connections she makes with her subjects. Finally, Photographer Leo Rubinfien shares the personal narrative behind his series "Wounded Cities," which depicts residents of places that have recently experienced terrorist attacks.