$32,400
USA, c.
1950 copper, steel, oil paint 15½ w x 6¼ d x 38½ h in (39 x 16 x 98 cm)
This sculpture encapsulates an experimental phase of Bertoia's work that began in the early 1940s while still at Cranbrook. Fascinated by the effects of light, Bertoia created structures with suspended metal triangles that reflected and restricted light when they were placed in front of a window. The first examples of this series were painted with a white palette, and "the gradation of values that the light imposes on the forms creates a varied pattern" (Nelson, 28). Bertoia painted one side of this sculpture in a range of blue tones, infusing the piece with a brilliance rarely seen in his work. As he later turned away from color and began experimenting with metal processes, he applied acid on this work deliberately corroding the surface. The paint fused to the surface of the sculpture, giving it its rough texture. literature: Harry Bertoia Sculptor, Nelson, pg. 28 discusses this form, fig. 17 illustrates this form in his studio window
The World of Bertoia, Schiffer and Bertoia, pg. 83 illustrates this sculpture
result: $32,400
print
Auctioneer:
Wright Auctions
Date:
2005-09-25
