#37 Troika

Frank Riggs
American, b. 1922

Troika, 1982

Painted aluminum, 5.5' x 15.5' x 4.5'

Museum Purchase with Funds from the Charter Member Endowment and the President’s Fund for Sculpture, NEHMA

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In 2010, Troika was relocated from the Fine Arts Center Courtyard to the south side of the Caine College of the Arts administrative offices. Artist Francis Porter Riggs, better known as “Frank,” titled the sculpture Troika, which means “sleigh” in Russian, to describe how its form is reminiscent of Russian winter sleighs. The Utah-based artist was originally a furniture designer who later became an artist specializing in large-scale sculptures in metal. He works in a minimalist style, paring down his subjects into basic geometric shapes. Passers by often use Troika as a chair, and Riggs is delighted that people interact with the sculpture in such an intimate way.