The work, contrary to popular belief, was not an abstract form but a sculpture. One Ton Prop, although deadly, was the outcome of Serra’s most mature works, managing to combine elements of weight, gravity, counterforce and other properties of architecture in the piece. The capacity to explore pieces this way allowed the audience to gain a unique experience by touching, feeling and in a way communicating with the works. In One Ton Prop, the audience could enter, walk in and out and interact with the artwork. Like architects, Serra has also always designed his works to be explored by the audience. Serra is famous for incorporating curved spaces and arcs, as well as many other elements of architecture in his works, such as in his well-known work Tilted Art, 1981 4. Serra’s pieces have always resembled architectural relics more than they have giant sculptures. The 32-ton heavy steel sculpture Reading Cones (1988) pinned two workers 3 for some minutes when it fell from its jacks. In the end, Richard Serra was exonerated it was the fabricators of the steel plates that were found negligent after constructing the plates shoddily.Īnother accident occurred in October 1988 during Serra’s two-person exhibition 2 alongside Bruce Nauman at the Castelli gallery in New York. Unfortunately, Raymond passed away, but his wife filed a lawsuit 1 against the artist and the museum.

This sculpture killed a laborerįor instance, in November 1971, Richard Serra’s One Ton Prop turned deadly suddenly when a rigger known as Raymond Johnson was trapped after one of the plates from the sculptor slipped from its frail support and fell. In some cases, visitors have even sustained injuries, and there have even been some incidences of death recorded.

Most Richard Serra exhibitions have elicited debates and discussions. Richard Serra has undeniably consolidated his career in contemporary art through his many controversial works including his now well known installation One Top Prop.

Rochard serra