Untitled

1989

Joel Shapiro

Associated Names
Joel Shapiro

Artist, American, 1941 - 2025

This sculpture features connected geometric forms resembling elongated rectangular blocks positioned at an angle and intersecting in various directions. It is balanced on one thin block on the right, while the other blocks extend in the air out to the left and upward. The colors of the sculpture include dark bronze and metallic brown, and it reflects light coming from above. The sculpture is set in a grassy area with fallen leaves, surrounded by shrubbery and trees with autumnal foliage.
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Joel Shapiro's Untitled may bring to mind a human figure in motion, yet at the same time it can be understood as an abstract sculpture that explores the properties of balance and gravity. The impression changes as you move around the object and encounter a variety of animated compositions. Originally constructed from plywood sheets, the elements of this work were carefully cast to retain the wood grain pattern.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze

  • Credit Line

    Gift of the Collectors Committee

  • Dimensions

    overall: 165.1 x 195.6 x 158.7 cm (65 x 77 x 62 1/2 in.) gross weight: 400 lb.

  • Accession Number

    1990.29.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Paula Cooper Gallery, New York); purchased 11 May 1990 by NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1994

  • Sculpture: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1994: 219, repro.

Wikidata ID

Q63860918

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