Steps

Depressions within a black square form a grid, a structure central to Minimalist art of the 1960s and ‘70s. Zarina derived such reductive forms from architecture, nature, and art history. For example, the irregular pattern of stepped declines in this sculpture alludes to a type of well common in India, in which water is reached by descending interior stairs. Steps also demonstrates Zarina’s innovative use of handmade paper. She began by casting black paper pulp in a mold, then dried it, and applied a shimmering metallic powder that gives the surface the look of stone.