White Fence

2020, wood and aluminum base, 100 X 108 X 72 in.

A large-scale architectural sculpture titled "WHITE FENCE" by Keith Francis (2020), measuring 100 x 108 x 72 inches. The work is composed of numerous vertical wooden pickets, painted a clean, semi-gloss white and mounted on a low-profile aluminum base. Unlike a traditional straight fence, these pickets are engineered with dramatic bends and tilts, leaning inward and outward to create a dynamic, undulating corridor. The spacing between the pickets is wide enough for a person to pass through. The "bends" in the wood are a deliberate reference to Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of passive resistance. Some of the vertical elements intersect to form subtle cross-like shapes, referencing colonial history. The sculpture is shown installed in a gallery with white walls and polished concrete floors, where the overhead lighting casts long, rhythmic shadows that extend the reach of the physical pickets. The work serves as a critique of the "American Dream" and the barriers to equity.
A large-scale architectural sculpture titled "WHITE FENCE" by Keith Francis (2020), measuring 100 x 108 x 72 inches. The work is composed of numerous vertical wooden pickets, painted a clean, semi-gloss white and mounted on a low-profile aluminum base. Unlike a traditional straight fence, these pickets are engineered with dramatic bends and tilts, leaning inward and outward to create a dynamic, undulating corridor. The spacing between the pickets is wide enough for a person to pass through. The "bends" in the wood are a deliberate reference to Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of passive resistance. Some of the vertical elements intersect to form subtle cross-like shapes, referencing colonial history. The sculpture is shown installed in a gallery with white walls and polished concrete floors, where the overhead lighting casts long, rhythmic shadows that extend the reach of the physical pickets. The work serves as a critique of the "American Dream" and the barriers to equity.

You may also like

The Common Thread
Design: 10’-0” X 9’-0” X 4’-6”; Cor-Ten Steel. New Bedford, MA
Glittering Patterns
Kinetic sculpture 9'-0" X 9'-0" X 3'-0", steel, aluminum and concrete footings.
Let’s Vote
2014, wood, PVC panel and custom electronics, 17 X 17 X 3 in. (each box)
The Firefighters
2008, stainless steel and granite, 60 X 84 X 36 in., 1,860 lbs.
Exploitation
2017, (6) Mason Jars with enclosed archival black and white photographs. 6" X 4.25" X 4.25" in (each) | 15.24 X 10.8 X 10.8 cm (each)
The Relative Ground
Solar-powered industrial traffic trailer, custom programmed LED matrix, municipal hardware Sited at LexArt for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution
UNTITLED, MELTING
Greed! (Illuminating Apathy)
2023, Found object, LED, 25" X 80" X 5".
Depletion
2020, billboard, 24 X 26 ft. Large format Giclée print.
#146
2016, steel, 48 X 96 X 3 in.
↑Back to Top