Being in the Needle's Eye
1981

Oak, pine, rattan        84 x 108 x 66 in            213.4 x 274.3 x 167.6 cm          Collection Ted Pillsbury, Dallas

"The energy coming from the art school at the University of Houston that resulted in Lawndale Art and Performance Center was enormous. I immediately tied my interests to the university. James was very good at getting people together and getting them to do things. He was the critical figure of that period. How often do you have a sculptor with national importance in the community? It was like having Jackson Pollock working in your neighborhood. Surls had the kind of energy that kept people going."

-Jim Harithas, noted curator and pioneering museum professional, from interview with Terrie Sultan, 2004.