I was first introduced to Michael Esbin’s work through my son, Joseph, who encouraged Esbin to send me photographs of his work.
These immediately intrigued me, but only later, upon seeing his work in person, did I realize the masterful degree of creative expression achieved by Esbin in his remarkable sculpture.
Of course, on another, more personal level I am naturally sympathetic toward Esbin’s work: Esbin’s sculpture maintains many qualities which exist parallel to the qualities of form addressed by the architect. These include the relationships between solid and void, transparency and opaqueness, the man-made and the natural, the rational and the intuitive, the spiritual and the refined.
But beyond these various parallels, or intersections, perhaps, with architecture, I am fascinated by Esbin’s work because of an altogether singular quality: its capacity to delight. This occurs through an uncanny alchemy of inventiveness, play of proportion, geometric sleight of hand, and, above all, meticulous attention to craftsmanship and detail. The result is a body of work that is as ingenious as it is elegant.
Richard Meier
Architect
New York, December 2007