20th Century sculpture is the focus of two solo exhibitions in New York this month.

At MoMA “Richard Serra Sculpture: Forty Years” covers three floors of the museum showing a broad spectrum of work produced by Serra (American, b. 1939) from his smaller early pieces in rubber, leather and metal to his later monumental metal pieces that the viewer walks through as in a maze. Inside some of these pieces one feels as if they are inside the hull of a gigantic ship while in others the bending pathways feel as if they are an endless journey of curving pathways leaving the visitor leaning as well. Now on view through September 10, 2007. www.moma.org

At the Jewish Museum “The Sculpture of Louise Nevelson: Constructing a Legend” examines Nevelson’s progression from creating smaller metal and wooden sculptures to her later, larger installation pieces. Her best known works are composed of discarded wooden pieces collected on the streets and arranged into elegant works of art and then painted black, white or gold lending them an elegance that none of the component parts (chess pieces, banister rails, or chairs parts) would ever have had on their own. Nevelson (American, 1899-1988) used her work to convey themes of love, remembrance, and individuality. The exhibition runs through September 16, 2007 at the Jewish Museum, Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street. You can also see this exhibit at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young, October 27, 2007 – January 13, 2008. www.jewishmuseum.org