At a recent Sotheby’s art auction in London, L’Homme qui marche I (Walking Man I), an iconic Alberto Giacometti sculpture, sold for more than $104 million. At more than six foot, this imposing bronze certainly commands visual as well as substantial fiscal attention. It is not, however, the auction value that I’d like to comment on, although that record breaking bid is worthy of reflection. Rather, I’d like to mention my personal attraction to this artist’s bronze sculptures.

There is something disconcerting yet viscerally compelling about Giacometti’s pieces. They provoke such an immediate sense of the present; dynamically entering our here and now consciousness, but also presenting a cold, distant personality through shape and bronze material. That is an emotional reaction. What I really want, though, is to get my hands on every ridge, dimple, curve and protuberance. My overwhelming desire is to indulge in a physically palpable sensory experience, exploring every element of the artist’s molded expression.

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