SOL 1985 / Edgar Negret 1920-2012 Aluminum Sculpture

This modern abstract red aluminum sculpture title SOL (the Sun) by the late great
Columbian artist Edgar Negret depicts formed metal ribbons decorated in matte
red and arranged in a stylized version of the sun. Fixed to a black metal base.
Signed underside Sol Multiple 14/200 Negret and dated 1985. In good overall
condition with some minor surface wear.
Size Height Approx 15 H x 11 W
Base 7 x 7 x 4
ABOUT EDGAR NEGRET + THE SCULPTURE
A pioneer of abstract sculpture in Colombia, Edgar Negret developed an aesthetics of assemblage reminiscent of the armatures used in architectural engineering. Combining bolts and flat metal bars, Negret’s sculptures defeat the conventional logic of hard and heavy building materials through structures that appear malleable, flexible, and fragile. Sun is an iconic work within Negret’s artistic production, fusing major influences from geometric abstraction to the work of sculptor Alexander Calder—whom he met in New York—and the symbolic motifs of pre-Columbian art. The grids and patterns in the architectural structures of the Inca city Machu Picchu, which he visited in 1980, inspired several of his pieces. In this sculpture, strips of red-painted metal are joined together as they bend and twist in opposite directions, forming a rhythmic pattern and implying volumetric space. This highly dynamic structure cannot be apprehended from one single perspective, instead requiring the viewer to move around it, a characteristic of kinetic art. Sun recalls iconographic representations of the Inca Sun God Inti, often depicted as a golden semicircle with radiating, zigzagging lines. This sculpture further renders homage to folk and popular culture by celebrating simple and everyday materials. The interlocking ribbons recall the paper decorations, or guirnaldas, used during national holidays in Colombia.

Born on October 11, 1920 in Popayán, Colombia, Negret went on to study at the Escuela de Bellas Artes in Cali, Colombia. While studying there, he corresponded with the Spanish sculptor Jorge de Oteiza, who would have a profound influence on his work. Temporarily living in New York in the late 1940s he studied at the Clay Club Center (presently the Sculpture Center) where he met the artists Louise Nevelson and Ellsworth Kelly. In 1957 Negret was invited in to participate in the São Paolo Biennial, where he exhibited one of his hallmark works, Aparatos Mágicos (Magical Apparatuses). At the 34th Venice Biennale his work was awarded the David E. Bright International Sculpture Prize. The artist died on his 92nd birthday, October 11, 2012 in Bogotá, Colombia. Today, his works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Museum of Modern Art in Bogotá.

Good

Fine Art, Sculpture

18%

Watercress Springs Estate Sales | (917) 686-8201 | Lisa@WatercressSprings.com

Pickup Details

Private Residence

Redding, CT 06896

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Saturday, 4/27, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

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