The LADDER Series

As a sculptor, Vienne Rea innovatively uses a wide variety of materials and hardware to create contemporary sculpture, which has become The Ladder Series. In her early sculpting career, Rea used assemblage techniques with metal, acrylic, and distinctive hardware to bolt, lace, and drill onto paintings and her photographs to create a third dimension. In 2013, Rea's pursuits in sculpture turned to the single theme—Ladders—which came to her in a dream. Fueled by this new inspiration, she sought a mentor to guide her in metal welding which beneficially led her to the renowned sculptor David Hess. Today, combining traditional and non-traditional materials, and using an array of sculpting techniques, the artist continues to expand on the captivating theme. The use of ladder-as-symbol has become a vehicle for her expression of autobiographical and biographical stories spanning a lifetime of experiences. All the while, the universal theme can easily elicit our own personal associations.