Accession Number1997/1.138
TitleStiff Box 12
Artist(s)Lucas SamarasObject Creation Date1971Medium & SupportCor-Ten steelDimensions 75 in x 56 in x 15 in (190.5 cm x 142.24 cm x 38.1 cm);75 in x 56 in x 15 in (190.5 cm x 142.24 cm x 38.1 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Lannan Foundation in Honor of the Pelham FamilySubject matterThe subjects of Lucas Samara's steel sculpture are in part formal: the encounter between the two different halves, the curved and the jagged; the different relationships between the material and these distinct forms. The box at the center of the divided forms and in the title, "Stiff Box 12," suggests other thematic content: a kind of Pandora's box idea of chaos and strife springing from the opened container; a contest over possession of an object.
Physical DescriptionMade of thick steel, this sculpture has two very distinct halves. One on side, the thick sheet of steel gracefully curves around and back on itself, making loops and rounded edges. On the reverse, the steel is angular, jagged, and sharp, jutting into the spaces in the sculpture's interior and the space around the whole. At the very center of the piece, along the implied dividing line between the two sides, is a relatively small box.
Primary Object Classification Sculpture Primary Object Typeabstract sculptureAdditional Object Classification(s)SculptureCollection AreaModern and ContemporaryRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
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Keywords
abstraction
angular (shape)
boxes (containers)
curved
direct metal sculpture
geometric abstraction
modern and contemporary art
steelwork (visual works)
whiplash curves