I Am a Knife and a House
1992

Natural pine, oak, hickory          34.3 x 21.5 x 19 in          87.1 x 54.6 x 48.3 cm          Collection of the artist

When discussing his artistic vision, Surls describes his ability to see the possibilities trapped within natural materials, as: "powerful forces waiting in the wood just to be released. But the other side of that is the powerful ability to read the possibility inherent to materials. That’s my intuitive sense. I can look at a piece of wood and just know that there is a sculpture in there."

-Terrie Sultan, Director of Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston.