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Harry Bertoia
Bertoia — Mid-Century Visionary Abstraction, Unique

c. 1960

About the Item

Harry Bertoia, Untitled (Abstraction), monotype, c. 1960, a unique impression. Signed 'HB' in pencil, lower right sheet corner, verso. Inscribed '1852' (the artist’s inventory number) in pencil, lower right sheet corner, recto. A superb, painterly impression, on cream wove Japan paper, the full sheet, in excellent condition. Unmatted, unframed. Sheet size 12 x 39 inches (300 x 990 mm). Provenance: Val Bertoia; Private Collection; Rago Auctions, Lambertville, NJ. Literature: 'Harry Bertoia: Monoprints,' Nancy N. Schiffer, Schiffer Publishing LTD, 2011; pg. 253. This work is included in the Harry Bertoia Foundation digital resource, Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné, number TD.MO.1584. ABOUT THE ARTIST Harry Bertoia (1915-1978) was a visionary Italian-American artist, sculptor, and designer. Born in San Lorenzo, Italy, Bertoia immigrated to the United States with his family at fifteen, settling in Detroit, Michigan. From an early age, Bertoia demonstrated a keen interest in art and design, studying painting and drawing at the Cass Technical High School in Detroit. Later, he attended the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he studied under renowned designers Eliel Saarinen and Charles Eames. At Cranbrook, Bertoia first began to explore the possibilities of working with metal, a medium that would come to define his artistic career. In the 1940s, Bertoia moved to California to work for Charles and Ray Eames, contributing to the development of innovative molded plywood furniture. However, his experimentation with metal wire sculpture would ultimately catapult him to international acclaim. Bertoia's iconic "Sonambient" sculptures, consisting of delicate metal rods arranged in various configurations, created ethereal sounds when touched or moved, transforming the act of sculpture into a multisensory experience. Bertoia's talent and innovation caught the attention of Florence Knoll, the founder of Knoll Associates, a leading furniture design company. In 1950, Bertoia began collaborating with Knoll, producing a series of iconic wire chairs that became emblematic of mid-century modern design. His "Diamond Chair," with its geometric form and airy construction, remains a classic of modern furniture design. Bertoia continued to explore sculpture as a means of artistic expression, experimenting with new forms and materials. His work was characterized by organicism and fluidity, with forms that evoked natural phenomena such as waves, leaves, and clouds. A decade before Harry Bertoia began creating three-dimensional sculpture, he dedicated his creative efforts to producing experimental prints at the Cranbrook Academy in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, pursuing a passion that would continue for the rest of his life. With these spontaneous works, he worked intuitively, testing different tools and techniques to achieve his desired effects. Rather than using a traditional mechanical pressing process, he would apply ink to a glass or smooth Masonite plate with a sheet of paper laid directly on top. Then, tools such as brayers, dog hair brushes, styluses, and different parts of his hands were employed to draw or “press” the images on the back of the sheet. Rice paper was typically used due to its semi-translucent nature, offering Bertoia limited visibility of the effects of his experimentation, but ultimately, the unpredictable nature of the process was an integral aspect of the results, which never ceased to delight him. Each work was a singular composition with abstract imagery ranging from linear, structural compositions to fantastic surrealistic forms to poetic tonal landscapes. He received little input from other artists, developing his unique vision with rare purity and a deep personal resonance. From his first year of printmaking in 1940, Bertoia quickly amassed an extensive collection of unique works. The compositions were strongly tied to the non-objective movement, which, while popular in Europe, was still in its nascent stages in the US. There were few proponents of this new art form to be found in the 1940s, and it was Hilla Rebay, then Director of the Guggenheim Museum of Non-Objective Art, who gave Bertoia the encouragement and promotion he needed. In 1943, Bertoia sent approximately 100 monotypes to Rebay for review. After receiving the prints, she responded with a surprising offer to buy them all. Rebay then began including them in the museum’s exhibitions. The Guggenheim shows succeeded in putting Bertoia’s name out into the world. He began exhibiting his works regularly at the Neierndorf Gallery in New York and was provided a stipend to ensure a steady supply of prints until Karl Neierndorf died in 1947. By the 1950s, Bertoia’s career as a sculptor was taking off, and commissions were coming in, but despite his increasingly busy schedule, he continued to work on his monotypes as a favorite form of relaxation in the evenings. His prints had often inspired later sculptures, but now he also began to employ the medium in the studio during the day to work out questions and ideas concerning his designs. He continued to work in this way throughout the 1960s and as his health permitted until his last days. Prints were made not only for personal fulfillment but also as a method of record-keeping for completed works and authentication of commissions to be given to clients. By the end of his life, the body of work he had produced on paper provided a sweeping record of his thoughts and ideas throughout his career—a deeply personal journal that informed much of his other work and responded to the rhythms of his life. Reluctant to part with his beloved prints, most remained at his home studio in a system of custom-built cabinetry until his death. Throughout his career, Bertoia received accolades for his contributions to art and design, including the prestigious American Institute of Architects Craftsmanship Medal in 1955. Bertoia’s legacy of innovation and creativity continues to inspire artists, designers, and admirers of modernist aesthetics. His pioneering work in sculpture, furniture design, and printmaking has had a profound and lasting impact on the world of art and design, securing his place as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Bertoia’s work is represented in numerous major museum collections including the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Cranbrook Art Museum, Denver Art Museum, Des Moines Art Center, Detroit Institute of Arts, Figge Art Museum, High Museum of Art, Huntington Museum of Art, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Joslyn Art Museum, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Milwaukee Art Museum, Museum of Modern Art, National Gallery of Art, North Carolina Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Palm Springs Art Museum, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Solomon Guggenheim Museum, Norton Museum of Art, Cornell University Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Victoria and Albert Museum (London), Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Walker Art Center, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
  • Creator:
    Harry Bertoia (1915 - 1978, American, Italian)
  • Creation Year:
    c. 1960
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 12 in (30.48 cm)Width: 39 in (99.06 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 1042581stDibs: LU532313521002
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