American, born 1942
Walking to the Sky, 2004 Stainless steel and painted fiberglass, Pole: 100 ft. high
Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, Texas
NSC.2005.A.01
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After being on loan from the artist to the Center for a period of one year, "Walking to the Sky" was purchased for the Nasher Sculpture Center by Raymond Nasher in 2005. One of Borofsky's largest sculptures to date, "Walking to the Sky" features seven life-size figures walking up a 100-foot stainless steel pole to the sky. Three more figures at the base of the pole watch their ascent from the ground. On loan from the artists, the sculpture debuted in front of Rockefeller Center in New York City in September 2004, and the Nasher Sculpture Center is the only other venue to present the work.
True to the dream and fantasy imagery that populates Borofsky's work, "Walking to the Sky" evokes a wide range of associations. Figures rising into the sky can suggest death and the passing of souls to the heavens, but the overall impression is one of optimism. The figures are easily recognizable: they are the kinds of people one sees everyday. Here, they seem to be defying gravity, ascending to new heights under their own power. Like many of Borofsky's previous works, "Walking to the Sky" is a compelling tribute to the power of our aspirations and the resilience of the human spirit.