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Philadelphia Inquirer, November 11, 2003

Wood, glue and eloquence

By Edward J. Sozanski, Inquirer Art Critic

As his forms continue to evolve, Fritz Dietel's sculpture holds its position among the most beautiful and elegant three-dimensional work being made in this region.

Dietel's exhibition of new work at the Schmidt/Dean Gallery expresses this evolutionary process clearly. The largest sculpture, Twist, which is also the oldest, features a coiling "tail" that wraps around a horn-shaped body.

In several subsequent sculptures, this "tail" shrinks to a vestige, until ultimately, in many of the dozen pieces, it disappears altogether.

The sculptures, all constructed of small shards, blocks or strips of wood stuck together with colored epoxy, follow a basic plan - a hollow, pod-shaped body usually open at both ends. All but one hanging piece are fixed to walls.

The epoxy is the key ingredient. Dietel applies it liberally, so it oozes between the pieces of wood. Variously colored red, green, blue, yellow and deep purple, it also coats the cavity walls, adding texture as well as contrast to the wood bodies.

Essentially, these are elemental structures, although obviously challenging to construct. Yet their eloquent allusions to nature and their artful synthesis of materials give them uncommon panache.