Ryan Gander Instinctive, unproductive and free (Departure), 2024

A postcard rack holds over 1500 cards in a grid that together creates an image, the rendering of an unrealized marble sculpture of Gander’s five-year-old son, Baxter. The portrait is durational: the sculpture is based on a 20 second scan of his son.

Having created several sculptures with his elder daughters, Gander sought to portray his son true to his being. Baxter, diagnosed with Autism, is in near constant movement, a coping strategy which is part of a self-stimulating behavior called stimming, that can alleviate an overflow of cognitive information. Gander’s portrait seeks to celebrate his son’s diversity, representing him in a rendering of his extended movement.