Wheat

David Bakalar (b. 1924)
Brookline, Massachusetts
1990
Anodized aluminum with applied “scotch cal” tape
73 x 8 x 8.5 in
On loan from David and Mrs. Sandra Bakalar
93.03

Physicist and artist Dr. David Bakalar explores organic and geometric forms through the mediums of stone and metal. His work examines genetics and the DNA helix or spiral-shaped forms. Bakalar describes his vision: “I’ve always been fascinated by the codes and molecules that are the Life Force. My sculptures reflect the complexity of this force and our common identity with all of nature.”

Bakalar studied physics at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and earned a doctorate in physical metallurgy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also in Cambridge, and went on to found Transitron Electronics Corporation of Wakefield, Massachusetts. Always interested in art, he was inspired to make his own work by the late sculptor George Segal (1924-2000).