 The "modular" aspect of Carlberg's constructions is often readily apparent to the eye.Carlberg discussed modular constructivism with art critic Brian Sherwin, stating,
Carlberg's sculptures often consist of repetitions of such a unit, a basic shape capable of combining with other such elements in various ways—somewhat in the way a composer such as Bach or Webern might compose a piece of music by exploring the combinatorial possibilities of a single motivic cell, working within implicit constraints.At Yale, Erwin Hauer was an important influence who prodded Carlberg in this stylistic direction.