James Surls (American/Texas, b. 1943) , "I Am in the House", carved wood sculpture, unsigned, h. 77 in., w. 39 in., d. 18 in . Provenance: Carpenter + Hochman Gallery, Dallas, TX; Collection of Noted Preservationist and Aesthete Dorian M. Bennett, New Orleans. Note: Artist James Surls has been creating and exhibiting his work nationally and internationally for five decades, and he is one of the most widely celebrated sculptors of the American West. His works have a distinctive modernist style that combines metal and wood in dynamic fashion. Primarily based on natural forms, his pieces often consist of needles or branches radiating from a core element, as evidenced by "I Am in the House" offered here, and symbolizing growth to the artist. Trees have long been at the center of Surls' work, and many of his sculptures are influenced by the East Texas landscape where he was raised and spent many years. Surls' evident mastery over his materials allows him to imbue his work with intriguing paradoxes that have evolved over the course of his career and continue to fascinate viewers. Ref.: "James Surls." Arthur Roger Gallery. www.arthurrogergallery.com. Accessed July 29, 2020.