20th Century Abstract Sculptures

Reaching, ca. 1980. Cast bronze. Signed in lower region on wrist. A rare example from the artist's later period influenced by figurative abstraction with expressionist tendencies. James Edward Lewis (August 4, 1923 – August 9, 1997) was an African-American artist, art collector, professor, and curator in the city of Baltimore. He is best known for his role as the leading force for the creation of the James E. Lewis Museum of Art, an institution of the HBCU Morgan State University. His work as the chairman of the Morgan Art Department from 1950 to 1986 allowed for the museum to amass a large collection of more than 3,000 works, predominantly of African and African diasporan art.[1] In addition, he is also well known for his role as an interdisciplinary artist, primarily focused on sculpture, though also having notable examples of lithography and illustration. His artistic style throughout the years has developed from an earlier focus on African-American history and historical figures, for which he is most notable as an artist, to a more contemporary style of African-inspired abstract expressionism. Early and personal life James E. Lewis was born in rural Phenix, Virginia on August 4, 1923 to James T. Lewis and Pearline (Pearlean) Harvey.[5] Lewis' parents were both sharecroppers. Shortly after his birth, his father moved to Baltimore for increased job opportunity; James E. was subsequently raised by his mother until the family was reunited in 1925. They lived for a short time with distant relatives until moving to a four-bedroom house on 1024 North Durham Street in East Baltimore, a predominantly African-American lower-class neighborhood close to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Lewis' primary school, PS 101, was the only public school in East Baltimore that served black children. Lewis grew up in a church-going family, his parents both active members of the Faith Baptist Church, devoting the entirety of their Sundays to church activities. His parents worked a variety of different jobs throughout his youth:[6] his father working as a stevedore for a shipping company, a mechanic, a custodian, a mailroom handler,[6] and an elevator operator.] His mother worked as both a clerk at a drugstore[7] and a laundress for a private family.[4] Lewis' primary exposure to the arts came from Dr. Leon Winslow, a faculty member at PS 101 who Lewis saw as "providing encouragement and art materials to those who wanted and needed it." In fifth grade, Lewis transferred to PS 102. Here, he was able to receive specialized Art Education in Ms. William's class under the guidance of Winslow. He was considered a standout pupil at PS 102 as a result of his introduction to the connection between the arts and the other studies. His time spent in Ms. Pauline Wharton's class allowed for him to experiment with singing, to which he was considered a talented singer. His involvement in this class challenged his earlier belief that singing was not a masculine artistic pursuit. He was able to study both European classics and negro spirituals, which was one of his earliest introductions to arts specific to American black culture. Under Ms. Wharton's direction, he was also involved in many different musical performances,[6] including some works of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Theatre Project.[8] Lewis attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, where his love of the arts was heightened through his industrial art class with Lee Davis...

Untitled" (1987) by Jack Youngerman is a bronze sculpture measuring 16 x 12.52 x 3.27 inches, signed and dated on the reverse. This piece exemplifies Youngerman’s mature exploration ...

Hitromemut (Uprise) Beautiful large sculpture by renowned Israeli sculptor Menashe Kadishman. Super quality, and visually stunning. There is a large monumental version of this in fro...

Miriam Sommerburg (American female artist, born Germany, Hamburg, 1900–1980 New York) Modernist Wood Carved Sculpture, Carving depictin...

This engaging artwork was created by the well known Italian artist Walter Valentini, in 1985. The title is "Piccole tracce" translated in Little Trace...

Elijah David Herschler (1940-2023) Ribbon sculpture Chromed metal Signed to curled end: elijah d herschler 29.5" H x 12" Dia. approximately Modern, abstract minimalist free hanging ...

Art glass sculpture by Riccardo Licata, 1997. This wonderful sculpture offers strong colors in green and yellow. The pattern is very characteristical of the Licata's production. This...

Gallifa Study X By Barry Flanagan 1992 Bronze 20.6 x 11.1 x 8.9 cm Edition of 8

This artwork is a multiples limited not numbered specimens created by the Italian artist Ugo La Pietra, a well known Internationally artist. Ugo La Pietra was born in Bussi Sul Tiri...

Arman Temps 2 (Mecanismes de montres) 1976 Accumulation of watch parts on three sheets of Plexiglas, encased in a box Dimensions: 18.125 h × 18.125 w × 4.375 d in (46 × 46 × 11 cm) H...

Rotazione Ascensoriale I , 1993 bronze sculpture h15 x 12.5 x 8 cm approx , ( including base ) , diameter Ø approx 13.5 cm limited edition , numbered: 15/70 signed dated and numbered...

Beautiful, large Allan Houser bronze titled "Watching." The piece is signed "Allan Houser" and numbered 11 of the edition of 12. The bronze measures 23"h (including the 1" wooden pli...

Yellow Totem Abstract New Age Surreal Sculpture by Mickey Kane Dramatic construction of a 1980s Surf Totem or wild Sci-Fi rendition of a Galactic Throne by the local Santa Cruz arti...

This is a revolving colorful kiddush cup with a signed and numbered Agam op art print in it. this includes the base tray. There is no cup insert so it is more of a sculptural piece ...

Four Figures, ca. 1960. Welded bronze, 14.5 x 9.75 x 3 inches. Signed at base. Edgar Tafur, born and raised in Colombia, was first trained as an architect at the University of the ...

Irregular triangle, 1993 Laminated acrylic Hand signed and dated: Vasa / 1993 4" H x 12" W x 3" D (size is approximate) Vasa Velizar Mihich (born 1933), known as Vasa, is an American artist based in Los Angeles, California. Born in Yugoslavia, Vasa has lived in Los Angeles since his arrival in the United States in 1960. He is an academically trained painter and was a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA in the Department of Design and Media Arts. He taught theories of color to understand interdependence and interaction of color and form, color and quantity, color and placement, and after-image. In the 1960s, Vasa developed techniques for working with cast laminated acrylic forms based on simple Euclidean shapes. These prisms of luminous construction are created by composing colored planes within these geometric forms. To fully appreciate these works of art, it is essential to observe them from different angles―the sculptures dimensionality contributes to an ever-changing appearance. Now retired as a professor emeritus, Vasa focuses on his conceptual art practice. His studio, designed to accommodate the technology required for his work, is located in the heart of Los Angeles. He makes laminated acrylic sculptures that reflect and refract light. He has had solo exhibitions at galleries in the United States, Japan, Italy and Serbia, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade, the San Diego Museum of Art, and the Palm Springs Desert Museum. Vasa is best known for his sculptures made from colored pieces of the plastic, poly(methyl methacrylate), which is also known as acrylic and by the brand names Plexiglas and Lucite. Untitled from 1975, in the collection of the Honolulu Museum of Art, demonstrates the effect of these minimalist sculptures. His work straddles the West Coast Light and Space art movement, Artists such as Robert Irwin, James Turrell, John McCracken, Larry Bell, Craig Kauffman, Billy Al Bengston, Peter Alexander, and Lita Albuquerque...

Raul Diaz (Argentina, b.1950). Abstract Figure, ca. 1970s. Canved Walnut. Measures 17 inches tall including wood base. Carved signature in lower region. Excellent condition. An ear...

Bronze with patina sculpture. Incised signature by the artist and stamp numbered with foundry and date. From the edition of 350. Size including marble plinth approx 15 x 8.5 x 3.5 i...

ARTIST: Salvador Dali TITLE: Daum Montre Molle Sculpture Designed by Salvador Dali for Daum MEDIUM: pate de verde glass and bronze sculpture. Pate de ve...

Discover the Essence of Joy: Karel Appel's "Clown Cat" 9/10 Limited Edition Sculpture in Acrylic on wood. Crafted from the finest wood, its playful contours and vibrant hues captiva...

Artist: Arman, French/American (1929 - 2005) Title: Paintbrushes II Year: 1991 Medium: Paintbrushes and Oil Paint in Epoxy Resin Sculpture, Signature and number inscribed Edition: 20...

PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973) Corrida aux personnages (A. R. 104) Terre de faïence dish, 1950, from the edition of 50, glazed and painted, with the Empreinte Originale de Picasso and M...

Serie Sintesis Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923–2005) Date: 1979 Screenprint on Plexiglass and Metal Rods Edition of 36/110 Size: 11.8 x 27.5 x 5 in. (29.97 x 69.85 x 12.7 cm) Pub...

PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973) Tête de faune (A. R. 51) Terre de faïence dish, 1948, numbered 132/300, with the workshop numbering, glazed and painted, with Edition Picasso and Madoura ...

"Willow Sculpture" is an abstract Post War stainless steel sculpture by Harry Bertoia in c. 1970-79. The artwork is 61 1/2 x 39 x 39 in. Betroia's work creates a dynamic, flowing c...

Worn like a bolo tie around the neck. This is new old stock vintage Jewelry from the legendary Acme Studio collection, which created many revolutionary jewelry items. It was handmade in the 1980s using the intricate cloisonné process, an ancient technique for decorating metal; hence any imperfections within the colors are to be expected and inherent which makes it unique and one-of-a-kind. The Memphis...

Artist: Stefan Vladescu, Romanian/American (1952 - ) Title: Epiphany Year: 1994 Medium: Bronze Sculpture, signature and date inscribed Size: 25 inch diameter x 1.5 wide Base 3 x 8...

Yaacov Agam, Purple blue, Kinetic art, Israeli art most, Israeli art

Modern Abstract Bronze Sculpture #79 Dynamic bronze sculpture by Doris Ann Warner (American, 1925-2010), circa 1970. This piece is twisted and folded in on itself, implying movement...

PABLO PICASSO (Spanish, 1881-1973) Petit visage barbu (A.R. 557) Verso impressed "Madoura Plein Feu" and "Empreinte Originale de Picasso" Hand-numbered "J139A 9/100" Size 17.2 X 17...

Artist: Chris Berti Title: Untitled Year: circa 1990 Medium: Hand-Carved Wood, signature inscribed on stem Size: 10 x 30 x 10 in. (25.4 x 76.2 x 25.4 cm)

Van Nazareth is somewhat of a reclusive personality and his bronze sculptures focus on primordial, illusive shapes. His figures are remote and uncommunicative, suggesting timelessnes...

This magnificent "Scalloped Box" is a stoneware piece with decorative layers of rich toned glazes and markings that John was so well-known for. He was, also, known for the undulating lip lines on his exquisite boxes that fit together like a puzzle. Each piece that John produced was unique. He was seduced by the effects of the reduction kiln, which decreased the levels of oxygen during firing, inducing the flame to pull oxygen out of the clay and glazes thereby changing the colors of the glazes depending on their iron and copper content. In this way he achieved the rich gradients of ochre and umber and variations in stippling and opacity. This piece is signed and stamped on the bottom. John was an American Abstract Expressionist ceramicist born in Detroit, MI. Though open to artistic experimentation, Glick was most influenced by the styles and aesthetics of Asian pottery—an inspiration that shows in his use of decorative patterns and glaze choices. He has said that he is attracted to simplicity, as well as complexity: my work continually reflects my re-examination that these two poles can coexist… or not, in a given series. Glick also took influences from master potters of Japan, notably Shoji Hamada and Kanjrio Kawai, blending their gestural embellishments of simple forms with attitudes of Abstract Expressionism. He was particularly drown to the work of Helen Frankenthaler whose soak-stain style resonated with Glick’s multi-layered glaze surfaces, which juxtaposed veils of atmospheric color with gestural marks and pattern. He spent countless hours developing and making his own tools in order to achieve previously unseen results in his work with clay and glaze. Glick’s “Plum Tree Pottery...

This intense abstract bronze sculpture was created by the Italian artist Eli Riva in the Late 20th Century. The artwork is a multiple numbered and signed of 5...

Brutalist Abstract Nail sculpture comprised of hundreds of hand welded flat nails with a rusticated patina. Would be great as a fireplace scree...

gilded bronze sculpture with brass base Executed in 1983, the work is an limited edition of three hundred diameter: 5 7/8 in. (15 cm.) height 17 cm hand incised with the artist’s sig...

Elijah David Herschler (1940-2023) Ribbon sculpture, 1985 Chromed metal Signed and dated to one end: elijah david herschler Dimensions: 38" H x 4" Dia. approximately Modern, abstract...

This superbly handcrafted abstract wooden wall art sculpture panel was designed by French artist Maxime Tendero (1927-1998) in 1973. Mounted o...

Danish mid century modern silverplated candelabrum sculpture. circa 1957 signed E. Dragsted Denmark. Dragsted goldsmiths, established in 1854, was purveyor to the danish royal family...

Hand Forged Iron Candelabra Holocaust Memorial Judaic Menorah Sculpture David Palombo was an Israeli sculptor and painter. He was born in Turkey and immigrated to the Land of Isra...

TEMPIO BRETTON: from the catalogue MONUMENTA, 19th International Sculpture Biennale, Antwerp, Belgium. Tempio Bretton was created in homage to the celebrated English landscapist Capability Brown for the occasion of an exhibition at Bretton Hall in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park , a park in the style of the great master of English garden design. The inclusion in the English garden of a temple ruin, or "eye-catcher," (architectural folly) was used to draw the eye and mind to a focus in time and space, present the beholder with an immediate relationship to an historic past made new within his or her own surroundings, and create a depth of space never before seen in garden design. I took the idea of the temple ruin eye-catcher and reduced it to a scale at the point where architecture and sculpture merged. Tempio Bretton is not capacious enough to walk into, yet it is considerably larger than a man. One view of it presents a knot of golden columns clustered together, topped by a dome shape. The only clue from this side to the temple's non-conformity to historic principle is a sharp notch cut into the square base. Viewed from the opposite side, the cluster of columns capped by an angular top opens up as if to welcome someone in, yet the mysterious core is still impenetrable. These contradictions articulate a confrontation between past and present, and an exciting truth. The past is always at the heart of our constructions in the present. Walter Dusenbery (born September 21, 1939 in Alameda, California) is an American sculptor. He attended the San Francisco Art Institute, earned an MFA from California College of Arts and Crafts, and then studied in Japan and Italy under Isamu Noguchi. He also held teaching positions at Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Design. From 1971 to 1988, he lived both in Pietrasanta,Italy, and in Little Italy, New York City. Dusenbery's preferred material is stone, particularly travertine or granite. Dusenbery has a particular interest in adding sculpture to public places, such as federal buildings, to humanize the space, but in 1988, he assembled a show of small, entirely hand-carved alabaster sculptures, called "Walter Dusenbery, The Personal Side," at the Fendrick Gallery in Washington, D.C.. In 1977, Dusenbery created Pedogna, on permanent loan from The Metropolitan Museum of Art to Landmarks, the public art program of The University of Texas at Austin. That same year, 1988, he was awarded a large commission for the Fulton County Building Atrium in Atlanta, Georgia. The commission was for three fountains and related structures over three stories in height, designed for informal and ceremonial public events, Limestone, marble, granite and travertine fountains, pavilions, seating and meeting areas, performance and concert platforms, staircases and planters for hanging gardens. After completion of the "Atlantacropolis," Dusenbery withdrew from the gallery world and focused his energy on site-specific commissions. (like the landscape works of Maya Lin and Beverly Pepper) Seeking a large-scale stone studio for projects closer to home, he discovered there were none. In 1995, he approached sculptor and patron of sculpture J. Seward Johnson Jr. with the idea of creating a state-of-the-art stone-carving studio, so that American sculptors would not have to travel abroad to realize their work. Johnson agreed to fund such a facility, if Dusenbery would direct it. In 1996, Dusenbery designed the facility for the Stone Division at Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture, and was its first director. The facility was situated in "a building resembling an airplane hangar," The studio offered the ability to digitally scan three-dimensional forms. The Stone Division was a success and attracted a strong group of sculptors: Magdalena Abakanowicz, Lawrence Argent, Barry X Ball...

Welded, brazed sculpture on wooden base This is not signed or dated This work is unsigned. We were told it was the work of Seymour Lipton but as there is further documentation we are selling it as attributed and cannot guarantee it as such. Seymour Lipton (1903 – 1986) was an American abstract expressionist sculptor. He was a member of the New York School who gained widespread recognition in the 1950s. He initially trained as a dentist, like fellow sculptor Herbert Ferber, receiving his degree from Columbia University in 1927. In the late 1920s, he began to explore sculpture, creating clay portraits of family members and friends. His early choices of medium changed from wood to lead and then to bronze, and he is best known for his work in metal. Like his contemporary, Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock, and Arshile Gorky Lipton was influenced by Carl Jung’s work on the unconscious mind and the regenerative forces of nature. He translated these two-dimensional drawings into three-dimensional maquettes that enabled him to revise his ideas before creating the final sculpture. The forms that Lipton produced during this period were often zoomorphic, exemplifying the tension between the souls of nature and the automatism of the machine. He made several technical innovations, including brazing nickel silver rods onto sheets of Monel to create rust resistant forms. Seymour Lipton is best known for his textured torch welded metal sculptures...

This is an engaging bronze sculpture created by the Italian artist Patrizia Guerresi, in 1986. The piece is a multiple of 1000 specimens on a green-painted wooden base. This artwork ...

Untitled, 1967 Donald Judd From Ten From Leo Castelli Folded stainless steel multiple Signed in black felt-tip pen and numbered from the edition 186 of 200 on a paper label affix...

This artwork was created by the Italian artist Piero Perin. Piero Perin was born in 1924, in Cervarese, near Padua Italy. He lived and worked in Padova where he teached at the School...

Pablo Picasso A.R. 542 Wood Owl 1968 11.8” x 8.8” Edition of 500 White earthenware clay, decoration in engobes under partial brushed glaze, black patina Ramie 542 is a Madoura ceramic that one rarely sees come on the market. The photo you see here is the actual piece that you will receive. Most sellers online post using stock photos that don’t necessarily match exactly to the piece you receive. This particular piece is pristine: there are no nicks, bruises or scratches of any kind. Be careful when buying from others – the pieces sometimes have nicks or scratches. The Certificate of Authenticity comes with this piece. We have sold over 3300 pieces with all positive reviews. We are located in the USA. When you buy from a foreign seller on 1stdibs, you have to consider the problems of getting the piece through Customs. There are often delays and considerable fees to pay in order to import the item. When purchasing from us, we ship the same day and you receive it via FedEx the next day, no problems or hassles. When you purchase from an auction house, you pay a buyer’s premium of anywhere from 23% to 28% over the “hammer price”. So when you “win” an auction for $20,000, the actual price paid is more like $25,000. By contrast, when purchasing from us, the price agreed to is the price paid by the buyer, no hidden fees. When you purchase from an auction house, you pay the packing and shipping fees, which are usually exorbitant. By contrast, when purchasing from us, the price includes packing and shipping. When you purchase from an auction house, the sale is final. If you receive the piece and are not 100% satisfied with it, there is nothing you can do about it. You are stuck with it. By contrast, when purchasing from us, the buyer can determine if they want to keep it. If not, the buyer returns to piece to us for full refund, and we pay the shipping both ways! The prices of Picasso Madoura Ceramics have been on fire lately (no pun intended). The major auction houses – Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips – have now been regularly holding Picasso Madoura Ceramic auctions...

William Tucker The Promise, ca. 1980 Bronze Signed and numbered 5/6 - incised on the metal 2 5/8 × 8 5/8 × 1 inch This abstract sculpture is by the renowned modern British born sculp...

This engaging bronze sculpture on black wooden base, well represents a human bust, but for its expressive force, the bust turns into an abstract shape of it. The artist who created t...

Carlos Aguilar y Linares, Mexican Sculptor (1945-2010) Sculpture chose him. In his hands and his soul he always had the necessary impulse to create wi...

This artwork was created by the Italian artist Ottorino Tonelli. Ottorino Tonelli was born in 1948 in Carrara, where he lives and works. After having completed his studies at the Flo...

This is an original wooden sculpture with hand painting on both sides. it does not appear to be signed or numbered and does not currently have any label. I believe this might be the ...

An extraordinarily moving piece by an outsider artist who must have spent many a day conceiving, cutting, hammering, soldering and welding this stunning metal group made of tin and iron. The result is something completely individualistic, which at the same time recalls early medieval...

I love this extraordinary American surrealist piece - a collage/montage, an assembly of objects in a velvet-clad box/frame - for a number of reasons reasons. I love the fact that it depicts pipes, among the most iconic images of the surrealist movement, rooted in Magritte’s famous 1929 painting which depicts a pipe accompanied by the caption “Ceci n'est pas une pipe” (This is not a pipe). Marcel Duchamp loved using pipes...

"Compression de canettes", is an iconic piece by César Baldaccini (1921–1998), a leading figure of the Nouveau Réalisme movement. Known simply as César, he revolutionized sculpture b...

Original stainless steel sculpture. Incised "Leon Ferrari 1978" on a metal plaque affixed to the lower area of the sculpture. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Please do n...

This engaging bronze artwork was created by the Italian artist Cristiana Isoleri. This is a multiple of 1.000 specimens, numbered and signed. The title is "Reperto" translated in "Fr...

Henry Moore (1898-1986) is one of the most revered and influential British artists of the 20th century. While he worked in a number of different media and styles, Moore is best known...

Elza Mayhew (1916-2004) was known for her abstract bronze sculptures, many large scale, that were described by Colin Graham of the Art Gallery of Greater V...