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an image of a table with a decorative object on ita table with a metal object on top of ita metal object that looks like a sea urn on top of a tablea picture of a sea urn that is on a table
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Estimate €30,000 - €50,000
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Description
Harry BERTOIA Untitled, ‘Bush’ series – 1972 Bronze and copper One-off piece 34 × 33 cm Bronze and copper; one-off piece 13.39 × 12.99 in. Provenance: Staempfli Gallery, New York Private collection Sotheby’s, New York, Important Design, 7 June 2023, lot 135 Private collection Piasa, Paris, American Design, 8 November 2023, lot 112 Private collection Bibliography: Nancy N. Schiffer & Val O. Bertoïa, *The World of Bertoïa*, 2009 This work is listed in the digital Harry Bertoia catalogue raisonné under no. S.WF.250 “The world has become a cherry tree in bloom” Haiku by Ryôkan Taigu (1758–1831) Harry Bertoia (1915–1978) was an Italian-American sculptor, designer and sound artist. Trained in art, design and metalwork, he studied at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he met Charles and Ray Eames, Walter Gropius and Eero Saarinen. In the 1950s, the success of his design work for Knoll, notably the famous Diamond Chair, enabled him to devote himself almost exclusively to sculpture. Florence Knoll played a decisive role in this development. From 1950 onwards, she provided him with a space and considerable freedom to experiment, enabling him to continue his research into wire and metal rods beyond the realm of furniture. The wire latticework of the Bertoia chairs thus represented an important step towards his open sculptures. At the heart of his work lies his exploration of the ‘interpenetration of space’: how to create a form without enclosing or filling it. It was this line of thought that led him to the Bush Series, created from thin welded metal rods. Bertoia began with a central core around which he arranged the rods, which branched out in all directions. Small, rounded elements were added to their ends, creating a multitude of ‘buds’. The sculpture is thus constructed through the accumulation of lines and points in space, rather than by shaping a solid mass. The density of the rods creates the illusion of volume whilst allowing the eye to pass right through the work. Light, shadows and the viewer’s movement constantly transform one’s perception of it. Whilst at times evoking a bush or plant growth, these works remain profoundly abstract. In them, Bertoia explores the relationships between matter and void, light and space, structure and movement. Harry Bertoia was an Italian-American sculptor, designer and sound artist. Trained in art, design and metalworking, he studied notably at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he met Charles and Ray Eames, Walter Gropius and Eero Saarinen. In the 1950s, the success of his design work for Knoll, particularly the celebrated Diamond Chair, enabled him to devote himself almost exclusively to sculpture. Florence Knoll played a decisive role in this development. From 1950 onwards, she provided him with a studio space and considerable freedom to experiment, allowing him to pursue his research into metal wire and rods beyond the realm of furniture. The latticework of the Bertoia chairs thus represented an important step towards his open-form sculptures. At the heart of his practice lay an exploration of the ‘interpenetration of space’: how to create a form without enclosing or filling it. This line of thought led him to the Bush Series, made from fine welded metal rods. Bertoia begins with a central core around which he arranges the rods, which branch out in every direction. Small rounded elements are added to their ends, creating a multitude of ‘buds’. The sculpture is thus constructed through the accumulation of lines and points in space, rather than by modelling a solid mass. The density of the rods creates the illusion of volume whilst allowing the eye to pass through the work. Light, shadows and the movement of the viewer constantly transform the way it is perceived. Whilst at times evoking a bush or organic growth, these works nevertheless remain profoundly abstract. In them, Bertoia explores the relationships between matter and void, light and space, structure and movement. Harry BERTOIA
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About the sale Interior Motives: Artcurial x Reflections
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Auction time 09/30/2026 at 5:00 PM
Lot description modified on 09/21/2026 at 4:14 PM
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