Sometimes Y

Urethane resin, steel
26 x 84 x 8 in
66.0 x 213.3 x 20.3 cm
2004

Richard Humann • Sometimes Y • Urethane resin, steel • 26 x 84 x 8 in • 2004

Sometimes Y is a sculptural installation by Richard Humann, cast in urethane using the artist’s own hands to form the letters A, E, I, O, U, and Y in American Sign Language. The five vowels A, E, I, O, and U are displayed in a horizontal row, with Y positioned separately on a second line below. Each hand is mounted a few inches away from the wall using a steel bracket, giving the gestures a physical presence that extends into the surrounding space.

By transforming hand gestures into sculptural forms, Humann explores the relationship between the body, language, and visual communication. American Sign Language turns hand movements into a system of expression, conveying meaning without spoken words. The separated hands make this coded language tangible, allowing viewers to consider the human body as both a physical form and a vehicle for communication.

The title, Sometimes Y, refers to the distinctive role of Y in written English, where it functions as both a consonant and a vowel. Its placement beneath the other five vowels reinforces this linguistic exception, giving the sculpture’s arrangement a conceptual purpose. Through the relationship between gesture, language, and physical space, Humann invites viewers to consider how meaning is shaped by the systems we use to organize communication—and how a single letter can occupy more than one role.

Richard Humann • Sometimes Y • Urethane resin, steel • 26 x 84 x 8 in • 2004

Photo credits: J.B. Grant / Richard Humann Studio