
05/16/2025
We wanted to look closer at "Suspended Column Melting" by Toshio Odate as we celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. โค๏ธ
This sculpture is made to be an optical illusion โ as the wood section appears to "melt," we imagine it being suspended from the aluminum section. However, the wood column is actually supporting the aluminum.
Odate is a Japanese-born American artist, and his art is deeply rooted in his cultural heritage. Trained in cabinet making in Japan, he later expanded his practice with works like this one. It pushes the boundaries of traditional woodworking, transforming the wood into a gently fluid and organic form that contradicts what we know about gravity.
As we explore the duality of this work, we invite you to celebrate the ways in which artistry connects us across humanity. And, of course, we'll invite you to come see Toshio Odate's "Suspended Column Melting" during your next visit to the Norton!
Toshio Odate (American, born Japan, 1930), "Suspended Column Melting," 1976, Wood and aluminum, 84 3/4 x 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (215.3 x 24.1 x 24.1 cm), Purchase, R. H. Norton Trust, 77.10