What shall we say of Ed Smith’s heroic “A Grand Battle, Songs of Heroism?” Those of us who know his work, have followed his career for many years are not surprised by the simultaneous expansive and hermetic statement made by the fifty pieces of the entire suite of wall sculptures, for they seem a logical step in his development.

Heretofore, we have been impressed and moved by the heroic floor pieces — those being a fascinating and powerful combination of classical sculpture fragmented, and abstracted, Franz Kline’s paintings made three dimensional, say.

These new wall pieces are “unearthings,” excavations of the mind, if you will; they are shards and remains which tell us two stories, one which we can clearly read and the other —  the resonance ! — which we can but dimly envision.

The work is powerful, provocative and disturbing.

EDWARD ALBEE