The Wrapped Figures of Robert Dente invite the viewer to delve into the mysteries of the forms contained within. For the artist, wrapping the figure began as a teaching tool for figure drawing class. By wrapping an articulating figure, students could better concentrate on the form and not on the external details of the body. But when the human form dissolved, “human existence” took its place and became fertile ground for further visual exploration by the artist. The American Heritage Dictionary defines Existentialism as A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe. Admittedly, this can bring one to the dark side of contemporary human culture and Dente did not shy away from the topics of environmental pollution, war, torture, genocide and death. Nevertheless, in the deft hands of this artist there is a haunting beauty present in all of these works. A human spirit constrained, but still struggling to be free. -Linda Dente