Accession Number
1997/1.120

Title
Untitled

Artist(s)
John A. Chamberlain

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1960-1997

Medium & Support
paper, aluminum foil, glue, and painted resin

Dimensions
4 5/8 in x 7 1/2 in x 5 1/8 in (11.75 cm x 19.05 cm x 13.02 cm);8 7/16 in x 10 1/4 in x 10 1/4 in (21.43 cm x 26.04 cm x 26.04 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of the Lannan Foundation in Honor of the Pelham Family

Subject matter
John Chamberlain received his early artistic training at the Art Institute of Chicago and Black Mountain College. He became recognized for his art made out of "junk" materials and scraps of various metals, plastics and rubber. He is perhaps most well-known for his sculptures made from crushed automobile fenders. Though this piece is much smaller in scale than those more notable sculptures, its form recalls Chamberlain's most characteristic works, resembling crushed pieces of metal covered in industrial paint. Chamberlain notes that his sculptures are made of found scraps of material, the combinations of which are based on his sense of what pieces will naturally fit together. He only welds, or glues, the pieces together in order for them to be moved, not to force a particular shape.

Physical Description
This small sculpture is made from crumpled paper and aluminum foil coated in resin. One end of the sculpture is blue, the other a brown-red, and the center is silver.  Pieces of paper which look like newsprint are stuck to the bottom of the sculpture. The piece is deceptively light.

Primary Object Classification
Sculpture

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
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Keywords
Non-Representational Art
abstraction
aluminum (metal)
found objects
junk sculpture
modern and contemporary art
paperwork (visual works)