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Richard Serra Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

American, 1938-2024

Minimalist sculptor Richard Serra, who was based between New York City and Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, may be described as the art world’s father of steel. He was particularly renowned for monumental arcs, spirals and ellipses made from massive sheets of oxidized CorTen steel, which occupy large interior and exterior spaces and dwarf visitors who wander through them, like abstract mazes. The most famous of these works is his "Torqued Ellipse" series, begun in 1966 and inspired by a Baroque 17th-century Roman church.

These site-specific sculptures, whose parts are manufactured in Germany, can be found from King City, Ontario, and the Netherlands, to the Storm King Art Center and Dia: Beacon, both in Upstate New York.

Before turning to steel, Serra produced abstract sculptures from nontraditional materials — fiberglass, rubber or molten lead — which he splashed or threw in their liquid states against the walls of studios or exhibition spaces, recording their shapes and angles. He also worked in video and performance art, producing a number of films that address the manufacture and use of his signature material: steel.

Beginning in 1971, Serra produced large-scale drawings that related to or were inspired by completed sculptures. Made with ink, charcoal, lithographic crayon or paintstick on handmade paper or linen, such works as Trajectory #4 or Double Rift II clearly reflect the forms and feeling of his signature steel sculptures.

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Artist: Richard Serra
"Ace LA Exhibition Poster Drawing" Richard Serra, Work on Paper, Conceptual Art
By Richard Serra
Located in New York, NY
Richard Serra Ace LA Exhibition Poster Drawing, 1972 Ink on paper 8 1/2 x 11 inches Provenance: The artist Ace Gallery, Los Angeles Known for large-scale steel sculpture of geometric designs, Richard Serra has created site-specific pieces that make three-dimensional designs in space. He has also made wall reliefs and floor sculpture from flexible materials that suggest organic shapes. He is committed to the idea of utilizing quality materials and to the concept that process is as important as the final result. Serra was born in San Francisco and attended college at Berkeley and Santa Barbara, majoring in English Literature. He studied art at Yale University, earning a B.F.A. and an M.F.A. in 1964. There he worked with Josef Albers and came into contact with many leading artists of the New York School (Abstract Expressionists). He also had a job working in a steel plant, which had lasting influence on his career. On a Fulbright Scholarship, he studied in France and Italy. In 1977, he married Clara Wyergraf. In addition to steel as a medium for his sculptures, Serra has utilized rubber belts, neon tubes, molten lead, and large metal slabs. In 1968 he made his first Splash-piece, where molten lead was thrown against the point at which floor and wall meet. His 'Prop series" began around 1969 and involved placing large lead sheets against each other, several yards apart, or hung from ceilings. Many of his pieces are enormous three-dimensional configurations from steel beams and steel plates. His goal is to "create a 'field force . . . so that space is discerned physically rather than optically.' Based in New York City, Serra has traveled extensively to oversee his numerous site-specific sculptures including one for Videy Island near Reykjavik, Iceland. Consisting of nine pairs of basalt columns...
Category

1970s Richard Serra Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink

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Richard Serra drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Richard Serra drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Richard Serra in charcoal, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1970s and is mostly associated with the minimalist style. Not every interior allows for large Richard Serra drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 17 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Carl Andre, Lou Fink, and George Thiewes. Richard Serra drawings and watercolor paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $14,400 and tops out at $14,400, while the average work can sell for $14,400.

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