Shamrock by Harry Bertoia
2002; Elsevier BV; Volume: 77; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.4065/77.3.216
ISSN1942-5546
Autores Tópico(s)Cultural Industries and Urban Development
ResumoHarry Bertoia (1915-1978), furniture designer, sculptor, and architect, was born in San Lorenzo, Udine, Italy on March 10, 1915, and emigrated with his father to the United States in 1930. Bertoia received a scholarship to the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Mich, in 1937. Two years later he was asked to renovate Cranbrook's metalsmithing department. In 1943 Bertoia moved to California, where he designed his famous chair constructed of wire. He also took welding classes and created his first welded sculptures in 1947. After moving to Balley, Penn, in 1949, Bertoia established a studio in his home and began working with various patinas and methods of casting to obtain different surface textures. One such example is Shamrock, constructed of braised copper to which a patina has been applied, resulting in the green color. This piece is part of a series of sculptures designed during the 1960s, consisting of numerous metal rods welded to a stationary base. Bertoia's later works incorporated sound into steel sculptures, a serendipitous discovery. He accidentally struck a rod when he was attempting to bend it. The resultant sound remained within his head, and Bertoia subsequently designed hundreds of tonal pieces by manipulating the number of rods, width, and height, ranging from less than 12 inches to 12 feet high. Some of his best known works were designed to resonate when touched or moved by air currents or floor vibrations. Bertoia played these so-called sound sculptures as musical instruments and even created record albums. Shamrock, located in the subway of the Hilton Building, was presented as a gift to Mayo Foundation from Mr and Mrs Leon Prince on March 17, 1977, in honor of Dr Dwight C. McGoon. Viewers are encouraged to walk around the artwork, look at it from different angles, and touch it.
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