拍品专文
This and the following nine lots of photographs by the Romanian sculptor, Constantin Brancusi, are culled from a collection which toured extensively in the United States from March 1992 through September 1994 as the exhibition Brancusi: Photo Reflection. Accompanied by an exhibition catalogue organized by curator Sidra Stich, with a well researched essay by Friedrich Teja Bach, the exhibition was the first in depth examination of the relationship between Brancusi's sculptures and his photographs of them.
As perhaps the most important sculptor of the 20th century, Brancusi strongly influenced the avant-garde era preceding World War I and throughout the 1920s and 30s. A complete foil to Rodin, whose influence was strongly felt in Paris when Brancusi arrived in 1904, he redefined the possibilities of figuration and abstraction by embracing materials and methods previously discarded. Wood, bronze, marble, brass, stone and even cement were all valid mediums for Brancusi. Scale was explored from human to grand.
Brancusi was an innovator not only in his representation of form but in the presentation of his art as well. He designed pedestals specifically for his sculptures and took great pride in their appearance. The placement of works in his studio took on an orchestrated air which he preserved successfully by photographing his atelier and its contents.
Photography was essential to Brancusi's perception of his own work and he would freely use it to exploit the surface of the sculpture. Texture, whether polished, smooth or rough, was of supreme importance photographically. Often, through the use of a simple background and eliminating any reference to its surrounding, he would disguise the scale of a piece, concentrating instead on the inherent qualities of the form.
A guarded protector of the public perception of his work, Brancusi insisted on having his photographs of his sculptures reproduced in publications seeking to use them. His photographs appeared in The Little Review in 1921 and 1923 and in The Arts in 1926, concurrent with exhibitions in New York.
The majority of the works offered are originally from the archives of the art journal Cahiers d'Arts.
As perhaps the most important sculptor of the 20th century, Brancusi strongly influenced the avant-garde era preceding World War I and throughout the 1920s and 30s. A complete foil to Rodin, whose influence was strongly felt in Paris when Brancusi arrived in 1904, he redefined the possibilities of figuration and abstraction by embracing materials and methods previously discarded. Wood, bronze, marble, brass, stone and even cement were all valid mediums for Brancusi. Scale was explored from human to grand.
Brancusi was an innovator not only in his representation of form but in the presentation of his art as well. He designed pedestals specifically for his sculptures and took great pride in their appearance. The placement of works in his studio took on an orchestrated air which he preserved successfully by photographing his atelier and its contents.
Photography was essential to Brancusi's perception of his own work and he would freely use it to exploit the surface of the sculpture. Texture, whether polished, smooth or rough, was of supreme importance photographically. Often, through the use of a simple background and eliminating any reference to its surrounding, he would disguise the scale of a piece, concentrating instead on the inherent qualities of the form.
A guarded protector of the public perception of his work, Brancusi insisted on having his photographs of his sculptures reproduced in publications seeking to use them. His photographs appeared in The Little Review in 1921 and 1923 and in The Arts in 1926, concurrent with exhibitions in New York.
The majority of the works offered are originally from the archives of the art journal Cahiers d'Arts.