Items Similar to "Cubi Libre" abstract geometric sculpture
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5
John Whitehead"Cubi Libre" abstract geometric sculpture2024
2024
$36,000
£27,387.72
€32,024.65
CA$50,347.60
A$56,559.82
CHF 30,100.49
MX$699,383.84
NOK 366,777.83
SEK 354,621.53
DKK 238,873.96
Shipping
Retrieving quote...The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation
About the Item
Stainless steel and aluminum with illusion cherry powder-coat. Dimensions include the base.
In this exquisite sculpture, suitable for both indoor and outdoor placement, John Whitehead gives another nod to the great Abstract Expressionist sculptor David Smith, who has inspired much of his work. Smith coined the word "Cubi" for his famous series of stainless-steel sculptures made between 1961 and 1965, shortly before his death.
Here, four cherry red cubes are suspended among four half-cylindrical holes in the sculpture’s vertical frame. The sculpture’s repeated patterns and negative spaces form a continuous zigzag, triangular frame with a textured, random swirl finish and mirror polished edges. Each side of the sculpture’s four cubes is inscribed with grooves forming 3 X 3 grids with nine cylindrical holes.
The sculpture’s kinetic feature is observed when the four cubes are touched by hand.
John Whitehead was born in Demerara, Guyana. He came to the United States at age five and grew up in various inner-city neighborhoods on the west side of Oakland, California. Whitehead’s formal training in art began at Hoover Middle School in West Oakland, but he didn’t feel seriously challenged by his art classes there. At McClymonds High School in West Oakland, he was most fortunate to have Richard Davies as a dedicated and extraordinarily talented art teacher. Under his astute tutelage, John was exposed to a whole new approach to art, which emphasized geometric abstraction, constructivist art, and abstract expressionist sculpture.
Whitehead pursued his post-secondary education first at U,C, Berkeley, where he obtained his B.A. in economics with a minor in art, and then at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he received his M.A. in economics. During his professional career teaching university level economics and statistics, he continued to develop his keen interest in and passion for contemporary art, and more specifically sculpture. These were formative years for the artist.
From 2010 to 2020, Whitehead’s body of work mainly consisted of mirror-polished stainless steel and aluminum sculpture balancing varying geometric shapes, patterning curves, and negative spaces. The design, boundaries, and perceived movements of many of these pieces were influenced by David Smith’s “Cubi” series, Fletcher Benson’s “Folded-Circle” series, and George Rickey’s “Cluster of Cubes” sculpture, and other works in the abstract expressionist and constructivist traditions. As a result, these sculptures reflect a high level of geometric abstraction and often contain objects that are perched precariously atop each other, appearing to defy gravity and/or displaying a balance/imbalance dynamic.
Recently, Whitehead has been broadening his sculptural work to include the geometric aspects of his past works combined with a variety of contemporary African diasporic and cubist artistic paradigms. John Whitehead is one of only a few African American geometric abstract sculptors currently working in the U.S.
- Creator:John Whitehead (Guyanese, American)
- Creation Year:2024
- Dimensions:Height: 81 in (205.74 cm)Width: 25 in (63.5 cm)Depth: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Glen Ellen, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU71215057902
About the Seller
5.0
Vetted Professional Seller
Every seller passes strict standards for authenticity and reliability
Established in 1990
1stDibs seller since 2014
48 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Glen Ellen, CA
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View All"Opus Trifecta" abstract kinetic sculpture
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
Mirror-polished stainless steel with powder-coat.
This sculpture's primary focal point is its stunning three-tier symmetric patterns. Three orange powder-coated cylindrical discs si...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal, Stainless Steel
"Cleopatra's Cobra" abstract geometric sculpture
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
Mirror polished stainless steel and powder coated stainless steel.
A vertical composition of four octahedrons between a snaking arrangement of half-round tubes perfectly joined end...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Stainless Steel
"The Numen of Wood" abstract geometric sculpture
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
Artist John Whitehead crafted four octahedrons from stepped layers of alternating, high-grade mahogany and walnut wood. The rotatable wood shapes are meticulously honed, balanced, an...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
"Without Limits" geometric stainless steel sculpture
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
Mirror polished stainless steel.
This sculpture is one of the last works in John Whitehead’s "Freedom/Progres" series. It highlights several cube-shaped prisms, each with three per...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Stainless Steel
"Homage to Fletcher Benton" geometric abstract sculpture
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
Mirror polished stainless steel.
Inspired by internationally renowned sculptor Fletcher Benton's "Double Folded Circle" sculpture (2002), this piece by John Whitehead contains cylin...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Stainless Steel
"Circles Within" geometric sculpture
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
Mirror polished stainless steel.
The primary focal point of this sculpture is its slanting progression of intersecting geometric objects, located in the upper half. It is as if the ...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Stainless Steel
You May Also Like
Black Boxes #1
Located in New Orleans, LA
John Poché creates polished aluminum and stainless-steel kinetic sculptures. His works range in scale from small indoor tabletop works to large-scale outdoor sculptures triggered exc...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Price Upon Request
Black Boxes #3
Located in New Orleans, LA
John Poché creates polished aluminum and stainless-steel kinetic sculptures. His works range in scale from small indoor tabletop works to large-scale outdoor sculptures triggered exc...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Price Upon Request
Half Circles in Yellow
Located in New Orleans, LA
John Poché creates polished aluminum and stainless-steel kinetic sculptures. His works range in scale from small indoor tabletop works to large-scale outdoor sculptures triggered exc...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Price Upon Request
Green 16 Leaf Tree
Located in New Orleans, LA
John Poché creates polished aluminum and stainless-steel kinetic sculptures. His works range in scale from small indoor tabletop works to large-scale outdoor sculptures triggered exc...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Price Upon Request
Uneven Arcs White
Located in New Orleans, LA
John Poché creates polished aluminum and stainless-steel kinetic sculptures. His works range in scale from small indoor tabletop works to large-scale outdoor sculptures triggered exc...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Price Upon Request
Half Circles in Blue
Located in New Orleans, LA
John Poché creates polished aluminum and stainless-steel kinetic sculptures. His works range in scale from small indoor tabletop works to large-scale outdoor sculptures triggered exc...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Price Upon Request