Screws and Bolts, 1971-1973
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The sculptures of this short-lived period are bursting with life, sexual energy and humour. Inspired by hardware store “found objects,” Etrog used the form and combinatory logic of everyday nuts, screws, and bolts to create imaginative pieces that whimsically mimic human anatomy. To add to this playfulness, the sculptures were vibrantly coloured in shiny car paint, which enhances the power of the works and their liveliness. Etrog was conversing with his contemporaries, producing artwork that in its form, subject matter and inspiration belongs to the “pop art” movement.
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Despite the mechanical look of the “screws and bolts” sculptures, Etrog maintained his labour-intensive process of hand-making multiple versions for each sculpture, and singlehandedly manufacturing the plaster model from which the final sculpture would be cast.
Samburu Study, 1972