Untitled 1962

John Chamberlain made this sculpture from crushed automobile parts. I imagine the artist finding these discarded pieces of metal, each with its own history of wear and tear, then he picked them up and rearranged them in a way that feels both chaotic and deliberate. The colors! That bright orange juxtaposed with deep black, hints of blue and white peeking through—it's like a collision of emotions frozen in time. What was Chamberlain thinking when he made this? Was he trying to capture the energy of the city, the feeling of speed, the inevitability of decay? I love how the metal is bent and twisted. Each fold and crease tells a story of force and impact. You can almost feel the weight of the machinery that shaped it, and even hear the echo of metal against metal. It reminds me a bit of the abstract expressionists and their obsession with gesture. Chamberlain's definitely in conversation with them, but using car parts instead of paint! There's a raw, visceral quality to it that really grabs you. It’s like he's saying, "Look at this mess, this destruction, this beauty."