Marvin Torffield Volume

Described as a “new terrain in sculpture,” Volume marks Marvin Torffield’s first work in the medium of polystyrene, a material similar to styrofoam and best known for its use in hot coffee and beverage cups. Torffiled (b. 1943, Brooklyn, NY) has sculpted three molded rectangular blocks of white Styropor, expandable polystyrene invented by the BASF Wyandotte Corporation, which contributed toward the cost of materials for the Public Art Fund project.

Each rectangle weighs 1,500 pounds and measures 64’ x 7’ x 4’. The artist bisected the length of the rectangular blocks with three hot wires, each in a different contour. The division of the blocks has produced large wedge-shaped forms—two from each rectangle—imprinted by graceful patterns of three-dimensional white waves.

Conceived as a winter sculpture, Volume was inspired by Torffield’s memory of a 1926 silent film in which huge blocks of ice were cut and hauled out of the St. Lawrence River. His sculpture evokes a memorable blizzard of white and compensate dramatically for New York City’s missing 1980 winter.