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Close Pin Prop

A work made of lead.
© 2018 Richard Serra / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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  • A work made of lead.

Date:

1969

Artist:

Richard Serra
American, born 1938

About this artwork

In the late 1960s, Richard Serra pioneered “antiform,” an approach to sculpture that challenged the reductive formalism of Minimalism by focusing on the process or act of creation. Capturing the raw, muscular energy of working with lead and steel, the artist utilized these materials to explore fundamental properties of sculptural tension. In 1968 Serra created his first “props,” consisting of plates and tubes in precarious configurations. Although these works are entirely stable, as all are carefully balanced, they employ gravity as their fundamental support and thus have an unnerving quality. The result is an aggressive sculptural experience evoking potential danger. The title refers to the artist Chuck Close, who visited Serra’s studio when this prop was being made.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

Richard Serra

Title

Close Pin Prop

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1969

Medium

Lead

Dimensions

Pole: 250.8 × 9.5 cm (98 3/4 × 3 3/4 in.); Tube: 101.6 × 24.8 cm (40 × 9 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Through prior gift of Mary and Leigh Block

Reference Number

1991.161a-b

Copyright

© 2018 Richard Serra / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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