By Marc Weinstein, Curtis Jeré
Located in St. Louis, MO
This exceptional 1960s Brutalist still life sculpture is a masterful testament to mid-century studio craft, presenting a powerful interplay of industrial raw metalwork and organic botanical form. As beautifully captured in photos, this piece is meticulously hand-forged, showcasing an array of highly stylized flowers, spiky starburst flora, and textured wheat-like stalks rising elegantly from a faceted, geometric iron vase. Each blossom is intricately constructed with individual layered metal petals, jagged cut edges, and torch-cut brazed brass accents at the centers that catch the light, adding a brilliant flash of warmth to the dark, moodier iron patina. For critical collector provenance, this important mid-century work is signed "Bob Schmitz" in a striking gold script on the reverse side of the vase. Vase is 6.75"h x 6.25" x 6.25"
Embodying the rebellious, texture-heavy spirit of the Brutalist art movement, this hand-forged sculpture celebrates raw construction with its exposed welds, torch-hewn edges, and multi-toned oxidation. Cleverly engineered for both stability and customizable display, the heavy metal flower rods are held securely in place by a dense sand filling on the inside of the vase, allowing the dramatic bouquet to maintain its striking arrangement. The faceted exterior features beautifully visible seams and a mottled, fire-kissed surface patina that transitions seamlessly from dark charcoal tones to deep copper hues, accented by the artist's gold signature. A commanding and deeply textural decorative statement, this mid-century studio sculpture by Bob Schmitz makes an incredible centerpiece for a Brutalist or mid-century modern interior.
Born in Illinois, Bob Schmitz was a skilled Midwestern craftsman who learned the intricacies of welding and traditional metalworking directly from his grandfather, a professional blacksmith. He eventually took over his family's historic forge, successfully transitioning the traditional shop into specialized, custom fabrication and independent studio design. Operating in the true spirit of the mid-century American Studio Craft movement, Schmitz hand-forged, torch-cut, and built his pieces individually by hand rather than relying on mass factory production. This meticulous, bench-work approach explains the highly customized, one-of-a-kind engineering seen in his work, such as using a dense sand filling inside the vase to balance and secure the heavy metal flower rods. Active during the 1960s and 1970s boom in torch-cut metal art, Schmitz utilized heavy, industrial materials like iron, brass, and copper to create dramatic, highly textured interpretations of nature. Because he was a dedicated regional craftsman who prioritized individual studio artistry over large-scale commercial gallery contracts, surviving examples of his large-scale sculptural work remain exceptionally rare to find on the open market today.
Bob Schmitz, Mid-Century Studio Craft, Brutalist Flower Sculpture...
Category
1960s American Brutalist Vintage John Steck Figurative Sculptures
