Negative Megalith #5 1998

Michael Heizer made this sculpture, Negative Megalith #5, and it shows a large stone nestled inside a cut-out in a white wall, a pretty monumental gesture! I can imagine Heizer, a real maverick, thinking about ancient monuments and wanting to create something with the same kind of awe-inspiring power. I wonder if he felt like he was channeling the spirit of those early builders, playing with scale and mass to mess with our perceptions. This work is a bit like digging a hole and then framing it – which is kind of perverse and smart at the same time. I love how the rough texture of the stone contrasts with the smooth white wall. It's almost like he's saying, "Here's nature, raw and unyielding, and here's human architecture, clean and controlled." It's a push and pull that creates a fascinating tension. Ultimately, it's about how we, as humans, interact with and try to make sense of the world around us. Artists like Heizer continue this really important conversation, inspiring us to look deeper and ask questions about our place in the world.