Standing Horse by Chris Smith, Corten Steel, Unique, 190cm high, 240cm wide, 80cm deep

Chris Smith’s Standing Horse transforms the familiar form of a horse into a striking geometric study. Constructed from corten steel, the sculpture rises almost two meters high and stretches out to an impressive 2.4 meters in width. Its composition relies on planes rather than curves, using triangles and squares to shape the body. Despite this abstraction, the sculpture remains immediately recognizable as a horse.

The animal stands firmly, its weight distributed evenly across its legs, while one front hoof lifts slightly from the ground. This subtle gesture introduces motion, as though the horse pauses mid-step. The planes overlap and intersect, building up density where the form demands strength, around the torso, shoulders, and hind legs, while opening into lighter, angular rhythms along the mane and tail. These sharper shapes suggest flow and texture without resorting to literal detail.

The corten steel, with its rich, weathered surface, adds depth and warmth to the geometric form. Its natural rusting process not only grounds the sculpture in the earth but also emphasizes the horse’s connection to nature. Meanwhile, the fractured geometry strips away ornament, reducing the animal to its essential physical presence.

Viewed from different angles, the piece shifts between solidity and openness, between abstraction and recognition. The horse becomes both structure and symbol, an exploration of strength, balance, and elegance through simplified form.

Through reduction, Smith distills vitality into pure geometry. Standing Horse celebrates both the power of the animal and the beauty of sculptural abstraction.