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California Artist Jan De Swart Mixed Metals Abstract Sculpture

About the Item

Jan De Swart (1908-1987) mixed metals abstract sculpture consisting of aluminum, bronze and brass on a wooden base. Using a wax casting method De Swart used branches and other elements from nature De Swart created a duality between to the materials. Based in Southern California his work was published on the covers of seven issues of Arts & Architecture magazine during the 1950s. His circle of friends included Buckminster Fuller, Herbert Matter and John Entenza among others. Jan de Swart was a sculptor and inventor that lived and worked primarily in southern California. Jan de Swart was born in Breda, Holland in 1908. At age 13, he began a five-year apprenticeship in the atelier of Master Yonkers in S’Hertgenbosch, run by a famous carver of ecclesiastical sculpture and furniture, and then completed compulsory military service before emigrating to the United States in 1929. During his early years in California, de Swart worked as a furniture maker. He prospected for gold in Arizona, and lived in an artists’ colony at Calabasas, California, during the 1930s, eventually settling in Eagle Rock, outside of Los Angeles, where he remained for the rest of his life. In the 1940s, he devoted himself to sculpture in wood, metal, and plastic, and participated in many exhibitions. His many commissions included murals, jewelry, furniture, and sculptured screens in a wide variety of media. In addition, de Swart was an inventor who held over 100 scientific patents. Many of his inventions were for rivets, grommets, and other types of fasteners used for ships, aircraft, and machinery; he also developed a strong, honey-combed core material that was used for a variety of structural purposes. He was part of the exhibition “Blueprints for Modern Living” at the MOCA in 1989-1990 and the MoMA SF.
  • Creator:
    Jan De Swart (Artist)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 11.5 in (29.21 cm)Width: 10.25 in (26.04 cm)Depth: 5.25 in (13.34 cm)
  • Style:
    Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1960s
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. In very good condition, slight wear to the wooden base.
  • Seller Location:
    Oakland, CA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU7361244227662

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