44. Ursula von Rydingsvard, Gusta
In Spanish, gusta can mean tasting, enjoying, and loving. Ursula von Rydingsvard’s sculpture by that name looks like a sort of mushrooming wine stopper when viewed on a screen, but in person, it’s a massive tower of craggy, raw cedarwood that very much commands the room. The wall text suggests it might be read as a sort of ancient guardian or fertility figure, though again, in person it doesn’t invite anthropomorphizing. Rather, this is an invitation to an earthy, primal kind of gusta, impassive in the way of nature. You enjoy it as you do a mountain or a tree.
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This post is part of MFAH 100, a series featuring works from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in honor of its 100th birthday. 100 words on 100 works in 100 days.
Have a piece you’d like me to consider? Send a message or leave a comment—I can’t promise I’ll include it but I will give it a serious look.
My first impression was of an ice cream cone! Gusta! Thank you for opening my eyes with every work you show.
Thank you for helping me with this sculpture....blessings, eys