Charles Ray: Adam and Eve

Larger-than-life biblical figures from a renowned American sculptor

American artist Charles Ray (born 1953) has devoted most of the past decade to creating sculptures of figures, animals and inanimate objects, often carved from blocks of metal in a state-of-the-art process that combines skilled handwork with industrial technology. This monograph reflects on the fabrication and installation of Adam and Eve (2023), a major sculpture by Ray that is currently on view at Manhattan West, Brookfield Properties’ development adjacent to Moynihan Train Hall and Madison Square Garden. The sculpture, which depicts the biblical figures Adam and Eve in their old age, consists of two large-scale humans rendered in solid stainless steel at nearly 10 feet tall. A significant and highly personal text by art historian Darby English, exploring this work and Ray’s illustrious career, is accompanied by extensive photography illustrating the installed sculptures and their creation.