Jesús Rafael Soto Art
1923-2005
Venezuelan Op and kinetic painter and sculptor Jesús Rafael Soto (1923–2007) is perhaps best known for his immersive installations, which respond to their environments and physically absorb the viewer in a dynamic sensory experience.
The exploration of space is central to Soto’s work. This is evident in his early paintings, of the 1950s, which create the illusion of movement through simple compositions and a limited palette. During the same period, he integrated industrial materials like nylon and steel into linear constructions that were part painting, part sculpture.
But Rafael Soto’s grandest and most enigmatic creations are his “Pénétrables.” Made up of thousands of long clear or colored plastic strands suspended from the ceiling or from free-standing steel or PVC frames, these geometric sculptures play with the perception of space, inviting viewers to act as participants by moving within and through them.
The strips of some of the installations were partly painted, forming shapes when seen from a distance. The Houston Penetrable (2014), at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for instance, appears to hold a floating yellow ellipse.
Rafael Soto created 25 “Pénétrables” over the course of his career. Each further blurred the line between reality and illusion and established viewers as not just spectators but as integral parts of the artwork itself.
Shop Jesús Rafael Soto's art now at 1stDibs.
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Artist: Jesús Rafael Soto
Untitled
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesus Rafael Soto
“Untitled”
Serigraph Ed. 7 of 200
24 ½ x 24 ½ in
Provenance:
Roland Auction, New York. Estates sale. 27 March 2021, lot #0515.
Category
Late 20th Century Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Lithograph
Untitled (from the Jai-Alai Series) 1969
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Untitled (from the Jai-Alai Series) 1969
wood, paint, metal and nylon thread
signed and numbered ‘SOTO, 31/300’ (on the base)
published by Marlborough Gallery, New York.
Jesús Rafael Soto was a Venezuelan artist known for his kinetic sculptures and large-scale installations. Like Alexander Calder and George Rickey, Soto’s delicate and responsive constructions react to external stimuli and changes in the atmosphere, as seen in his work Penetrable (1990). “Artistic creation is a force which should preferably be directed towards the exploration of space, of the universe, of the infinite realities which surround us, but of which we are hardly conscious,” Soto once mused. Born on June 5, 1923 in Cuidad Bolívar, Venezuela, he studied at the Escuela des artes plásticas in Caracas from 1942–1947 and later served as the director of the Escuela de bellas artes in Maracaibo, Venezuela until his move to Europe in 1950. Settling in Paris, he associated with the Op Art artists Victor Vasarely and Yaacov Agam, as well as members of the ZERO group such as Otto Piene, Jean Tinguely, and Heinz Mack. In 1973, the Museo de arte modern Jesús...
Category
20th Century Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Metal
Jai Alai Suite Ed47 of 300
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
“Jai Alai Suite” 1969
Perspex, nylon thread, and steel Ed 47 of 300
19 x 6 x 6 in
Category
1960s Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Steel
Serie Sintesis, Mixed Media Op Art Sculpture by Jesus Rafael Soto
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Long Island City, NY
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...
Category
1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Metal
Composition 1
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Paris, FR
Silksreen, 1973
Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 69/95
Publisher : Malbotough Graphics, New York
80.00 cm. x 80.00 cm. 31.5 in. x 31.5 in. (paper)
65.00 cm. x 65.00...
Category
1970s Abstract Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Silk
Red virtual square on the right
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Paris, FR
Silksreen, 1981
Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 83/190
Catalog : [Prent 190]
60.00 cm. x 60.00 cm. 23.62 in. x 23.62 in. (paper)
46.00 cm. x 53.00 cm. 18.11 in. x 2...
Category
1980s Abstract Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Silk
Untitled
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesus Rafael Soto
“Untitled”
Serigraph Ed. 7 of 200
24 ½ x 24 ½ in
Provenance:
Roland Auction, New York. Estates sale. 27 March 2021, lot #0515.
Category
Late 20th Century Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Lithograph
Spirales (from Sotomagie series)
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Palm Desert, CA
"Spirales (from Sotomagie series)" is a Contemporary screenprint on plexiglass sculptural print made by Jesus Rafael Soto in 1967. The artwork is 13 3/8 x 13 3/8 x 7 inches and weigh...
Category
20th Century Contemporary Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Plexiglass, Screen
Composition 1996
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Composition 1996
Silkscreen in colors on Arches paper
21.7 x 29.5 in (55 x 75 cm)
Editioned upper left and signed upper right
Edition of 99
Jesús Rafael Soto was born on June 5, 19...
Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Lithograph
Jai Alai Suite Ed47 of 300
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
“Jai Alai Suite” 1969
Perspex, nylon thread, and steel Ed 47 of 300
19 x 6 x 6 in
Category
1960s Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Steel
Jesús Rafael Soto ( 1923 – 2005 ) – Composition – hand-signed serigraphy – 1970
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Varese, IT
color serigraphy on paper, edited in 1970
limited edition
signed in pencil by artist and numbered as: 154/190 in lower right
paper size: 60 x 60 cm
very good conditions, with strong ...
Category
1970s Abstract Geometric Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Paper, Screen
Untitled (From the Sotomagie Portfolio), 1967
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Untitled (From the Sotomagie Portfolio), 1967
Denise Rene Editeur, Paris
(Based on Soto's Work Répétition et Progression, 1951, Oil on Plywood)
Silkscreen
23 7/8 x 23 7/8 in (60.5 x ...
Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Lithograph
Petite Vibration Brique et Noir
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Petite Vibration Brique et Noir (1966)
Painted wood with a painted metal rod and nylon thread
Edition Galerie Bischofberger, Zurich Ed. 16 / 35
20 x 18 x 18 in
Provenance:
Galerie Elke Dröscher, Hamburg
Galerie Meißner, Hamburg (1976)
Private collection, Baden-Württemberg
Lempertz Auction. Contemporary Art...
Category
1960s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Metal
Untitled
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesus Rafael Soto
“Untitled”
Lithograph Ed. 63 of 120
29 x 23 in
Category
20th Century Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Lithograph
Serie Madrid B, 1990
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesus Soto (1923-2005)
Serie Madrid B, 1990
Denise Rene Editeur, Paris (with Denise Rene's blind-stamp)
Screen print in heavy paper
59 x 45.3 in (150 x 115 cm)
Professionally framed...
Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Screen
Biface, Mixed Media Kinetic Op Art Sculpture by Jesus Rafael Soto
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Long Island City, NY
Biface
Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923 - 2005)
Year: 1973
Medium: Color screenprint on black and blue painted metal panel, in front of this black and blue painted metal rods atta...
Category
1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Metal
Jesús Rafael Soto (1923-2005) - Araya - Color serigraphy on paper, 1974
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Varese, IT
Color serigraphy on paper, edited in 1974
Limited edition of 100 copies,
signed in pencil by artist in lower right corner and numbered as: EA ( épreuve d'artiste ) ( artist proof )
...
Category
1970s Abstract Geometric Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Paper, Screen
Mirroire d'Artiste
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923 - 2005)
Title: Mirroire d'Artiste
Year: 2005
Medium: Mirrored Glass and Silkscreened Plexiglass Wall Sculpture, signature and number ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Metal
Ovalo Verde, OP Art Kinetic Screenprint by Jesus Rafael Soto
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923 - 2005)
Title: Ovalo Verde
Year: 1980
Medium: Screenprint on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil
Edition: 150, AP 25
Paper Size: 22 in. ...
Category
1980s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Screen
Jai Alai Suite
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
JESUS RAFAEL SOTO
Jai-Alai Suite: Multiple I, 1969
Plexiglass in white, blue, yellow, screen-print in black,
nylon thread and steel.
25 1/8 x 21 1/2 x 7 3/4 in
Ed. 15 / 300
Provenan...
Category
20th Century Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Steel
Untitled
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Paris, FR
Silksreen, 1970
Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 63/145
70.00 cm. x 50.00 cm. 27.56 in. x 19.69 in. (paper)
44.30 cm. x 44.50 cm. 17.44 in. x 17.52 in. (image)
The V...
Category
1970s Abstract Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Silk
La Escalera Azul, de la serie Sintesis
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
La Escalera Azul, de la serie Sintesis 1979
Plexiglas and metal Ed 37 of 110
20 x 14 x 5 in
Literature:
Museo Guggenheim Bilbao. “Soto. The Fourth dimension”. Catalogue published on...
Category
1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Metal
MIROIRS D'ARTISTE (3D WALL SCULPTURE)
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Aventura, FL
Mirrored glass and silkscreened plexiglass wall sculpture. Incised artist signature and edition on verso. From the EA edition of 20 (there is also the main edition of 99).
Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authenticity included. All reasonable offers will be considered.
About the Artist: Jesús Rafael Soto (Venezuelan, 1923–2005) was an artist known for his kinetic sculptures and large-scale installations. Like Alexander Calder and George Rickey, Soto’s delicate and responsive constructions react to external stimuli and changes in the atmosphere, as seen in his work Penetrable (1990). “Artistic creation is a force which should preferably be directed towards the exploration of space, of the universe, of the infinite realities which surround us, but of which we are hardly conscious,” Soto once mused. Born on June 5, 1923 in Cuidad Bolívar, Venezuela, he studied at the Escuela des artes plásticas in Caracas from 1942–1947 and later served as the director of the Escuela de bellas artes in Maracaibo, Venezuela until his move to Europe in 1950. Settling in Paris, he associated with the Op Art artists Victor Vasarely and Yaacov Agam, as well as members of the ZERO group such as Otto Piene, Jean Tinguely, and Heinz Mack. In 1973, the Museo de arte modern Jesús Soto...
Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Mirror, Plexiglass, Screen
Jesús Rafael Soto ( 1923 – 2005 ) – Composition – hand-signed serigraphy – 1970
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Varese, IT
color serigraphy on paper, edited in 1970
limited edition
signed in pencil by artist and numbered as: 169/190 in lower right
paper size: 60 x 60 cm
very good conditions, with strong ...
Category
1970s Abstract Geometric Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Paper, Screen
Jesús Rafael Soto ( 1923 - 2005 ) - Composition - hand-signed serigraphy - 1970
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Varese, IT
color serigraphy on paper, edited in 1970
limited edition
signed in pencil by artist and numbered as: 178/190 in lower right
paper size: 60 x 60 cm
very good conditions, with strong ...
Category
1970s Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Paper, Screen
Quadrato
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesus Rafael Soto (1923-2005)
Quadrato 1974
Editions Denise Rene
46 of 75
Acrylic/aluminum with painted metal rods
17,5 x 15,7 x 12,5 in
Signed and dated
Provenance:
Editions Galeri...
Category
1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Metal
Untitled (From the Sotomagie Portfolio), 1967
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Untitled (From the Sotomagie Portfolio), 1967
Denise Rene Editeur, Paris
Based on Soto's Work Rotation, 1952, Oil on Plywood
Silkscreen
23 7/8 x 23 7/8 in (60.5 x 60.5 cm)
Editioned ...
Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Lithograph
Hannover
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesus Rafael Soto
"Hannover" 1970
Color silkscreen on transparent plexiglass panel, metal rods on nylon threads.
It has the original box.
7 x 21 x 5 in
Ed. 170 of 200
Provenance:
Va...
Category
1970s Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Metal
Untitled (from the Jai-Alai Series) 1969
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Untitled (from the Jai-Alai Series) 1969
wood, paint, metal and nylon thread
signed and numbered ‘SOTO, 31/300’ (on the base)
published by Marlborough Gallery, New York.
Jesús Rafael Soto was a Venezuelan artist known for his kinetic sculptures and large-scale installations. Like Alexander Calder and George Rickey, Soto’s delicate and responsive constructions react to external stimuli and changes in the atmosphere, as seen in his work Penetrable (1990). “Artistic creation is a force which should preferably be directed towards the exploration of space, of the universe, of the infinite realities which surround us, but of which we are hardly conscious,” Soto once mused. Born on June 5, 1923 in Cuidad Bolívar, Venezuela, he studied at the Escuela des artes plásticas in Caracas from 1942–1947 and later served as the director of the Escuela de bellas artes in Maracaibo, Venezuela until his move to Europe in 1950. Settling in Paris, he associated with the Op Art artists Victor Vasarely and Yaacov Agam, as well as members of the ZERO group such as Otto Piene, Jean Tinguely, and Heinz Mack. In 1973, the Museo de arte modern Jesús...
Category
20th Century Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Metal
Ovalo en el Rojo Edition 78/110
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesús Rafael Soto was a Venezuelan artist known for his kinetic sculptures and large-scale installations. Like Alexander Calder and George Rickey, Soto’s delicate and responsive constructions react to external stimuli and changes in the atmosphere, as seen in his work Penetrable (1990). “Artistic creation is a force which should preferably be directed towards the exploration of space, of the universe, of the infinite realities which surround us, but of which we are hardly conscious,” Soto once mused. Born on June 5, 1923 in Cuidad Bolívar, Venezuela, he studied at the Escuela des artes plásticas in Caracas from 1942–1947 and later served as the director of the Escuela de bellas artes in Maracaibo, Venezuela until his move to Europe in 1950. Settling in Paris, he associated with the Op Art artists Victor Vasarely and Yaacov Agam, as well as members of the ZERO group such as Otto Piene, Jean Tinguely, and Heinz Mack. In 1973, the Museo de arte modern Jesús...
Category
20th Century Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Metal
Expo 60 - ARC Musee D'Art Moderne Ville De Paris
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Jesus Rafael Soto
Expo 60 - ARC Musee D'Art Moderne Ville De Paris
1969
Screenprint on Cardboard
27 1/2 x 18 1/2 in.
Edition of 1000
Signed on bottom right, si...
Category
1960s Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Mixed Media, Cardboard, Screen
Vibrations Metalliques
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Jesus Rafael Soto (June 5, 1923 - January 14, 2005, Venezuelan)
Vibrations Metalliques
1969
painted metal with metal rod with nylon string
10 3/4 x 11 3/4 x 5...
Category
1960s Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Metal
Jesús Rafael Soto, Quadrato, 1974, Edition Denise René. Ed. 32/75
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesús Rafael Soto
Quadrato 1974
Edition Denise René. Ed. 32/75
Acrylic on aluminum with painted metal rods
45.7 x 40 x 32 cm
17.9 x 15.7 x 12.5 in.
Jesús Rafael Soto (1923 - 2005) ...
Category
1970s Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Art
Materials
Mixed Media
Jesús Rafael Soto art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Jesús Rafael Soto art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Jesús Rafael Soto in screen print, metal, plastic and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Jesús Rafael Soto art, so small editions measuring 6 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Leon Polk Smith, Nicholas Krushenick, and Robyn Denny. Jesús Rafael Soto art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,997 and tops out at $70,000, while the average work can sell for $4,000.