1986
steel and brass
35 x 6 x 6 inches
Gift of Mrs. Jacqueline K. Holland, 1989
In an artist’s statement, Kenneth Patrick Payne said: “Air, earth, fire, and water—our relationship to the world is through its material reality. Our connections are physical. Ancient societies imbued their environments with spiritual content.” Siekem, an example of his metal sculpture from the mid-1980s, references ancient Egyptian mythology. According to the artist, “Sekhem” or “Siekem” is “power” or “the vital force of Man.” Its vertical, phallic form would imply strength and virility in any culture.