What Was Vincent Thinking is a whimsical, freestanding sculpture by the Colorado-based artist Kevin Robb. Made from brushed stainless steel, the sculpture depicts the basic building blocks of artmaking that have been welded together into a vertical arrangement. Here, the square, the circle, the star and the triangle are all represented. Fusing and merging together, each separate element is striking on its own, but ultimately more powerful together.

Emblematic of creativity in the McNichols Sculpture Trail, the work represents that powerful life force that compels artists everywhere.

In this sculpture, every element seems to be reaching upward and outward, as if each component is striving to create space and break free. A palpable sense of life exists here, representing that unstoppable creative impulse that exists within oneself.

An exquisite balance between positive and negative forces is also at play in What Was Vincent Thinking. The star and the square are pierced with an opening that allows the viewer to see through the sculpture toward the surrounding architecture of both Plant Hall and Smiley Hall.

The square has now morphed into a window. It represents a window into another realm, one filled with creativity and promise. The “Vincent” in the work’s title may refer to Vincent van Gogh, with the star representing The Starry Night (1889; Museum of Modern Art, New York).