Massive New Sculpture On Exhibit At The Aldrich In Ridgefield

RIDGEFIELD, CT — A massive ladder will be the next focal piece of The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum's Main Street Sculpture program

Brooklyn artist David Shaw's "Last Steps" will be on view from Sept. 9, 2022 to Apr. 23, 2023.

Shaw's piece "is in a process of decomposition as well as rebirth, with gleams of spectral light appearing in gaps in the moss-like growth that has enveloped it," according to a news release from The Aldrich. The work suggests "an alternate reality or a regenerative possibility lurking beneath the surface."

The artist’s use of the ladder form, but with missing rungs, "speaks of the challenges we face as a civilization as we try to heal what has been lost."

Shaw said that, "'Last Steps' is both an image of our frustrated, unattainable, and perhaps misguided desire for progress, and a symbol of hope that the world wants to rebuild, that life wants to continue."

"Last Steps" was originally commissioned as part of "Re:Growth," an exhibition of outdoor works in Manhattan's Riverside Park in 2021.

The Aldrich is located at 258 Main Street in Ridgefield.