I see...

I see a crooked ladder that reminds me of illustrations I might find in a Dr. Suess book. The ladder is a natural wood color. The floor appears as a brownish tile flooring. I see what appears to be concrete walls. The ceiling appears white outlined by black. I see shadows of the ladder both on the floor and wall. I think this art piece makes me think of questions like, Does the ceiling have a light fixture inside causing the shadows? Since the room appears to be a cell or somewhat of a place that a person might be kept, I wonder if the ladder represents a way out. - Melissa Cooper

I see a ladder looking through a piece of glass like a window that is thicker in some places the creating an optical illusion. – Donald Sullivan

An exchange between two viewers:

This image is a tricky one to describe, as are most 3-D sculptures that are displayed as 2-D reproductions. Here I see a small reproduction of a large sculpture set within three cement walls in an art museum. The sculpture is the ladder. In the past, at the Chicago Art Institute, the ladder sculpture was displayed lying on the floor. In this installation at the Fort Worth Modern, the ladder is erect and tilted but it does not lean against a wall, nor does it touch the floor or the ceiling. It is suspended in the air. I see a tall ladder that would be very difficult for anyone to climb, and it is probably impossible for anyone to get to the top by climbing it. – Terry Barrett

I find it interesting in the two ways it has been displayed as mentioned by Terry. I have always studied it and seen it as always displayed the way it was in Ft Worth. The whole concept in my brain is challenged by the thought of different placements. Now I am wondering how I might place it in juxtaposition to technology or a different type of sculpture or a conceptual piece. Now it’s as if my mind is opened to possibilities, and they seem endless. – Gloria Jeanne Wyatt

Yes, but I think the title of the sculpture needs to be accounted for in an eventual interpretation if one wants to offer a plausible understanding of it. No? – Terry Barrett

I have to admit I look at titles after I look at a piece. – Gloria Jeanne Wyatt

I see a ladder suspended by wires attached to the seventh rung from the bottom and the top rung (the ladder does not sit on the oversized, brown concrete floor). The ladder's sideboards curve back and forth in a wavy way and near the top, one of the waves is a sharper, pointed curve to the right. The rungs are rounded spindles, not flat. The distance between the side boards narrows as it rises. I see shadows of the ladder on both sides of the ladder on the floor and on the wall. The installation space of the ladder is a tall, rectangular cell. The walls are medium brown with shapes of darker brown smudge marks. The walls are scored to break the rectangle walls into square shaped. The floor is a darker brown than the walls, perhaps made of concrete and scored in a grid or grate-like way. The ceiling seems to be fluorescent-lit. The white ceiling panels are framed in bronze aluminum extrusion. I see two ceiling panels. I see the wire that holds the top rung may be tied to the middle of one of the bronze pieces. – Susan Michael Barrett

Image credit: Ladder for Booker T. Washington. Artist, Martin Puryear.