Danger of Death (T05007) 1954

"Danger of Death" (1954), a minimalist pencil drawing on paper by Jean Arp, features a network of jagged, organic lines that evoke a sense of both abstraction and figuration. The work's title suggests a theme of vulnerability and uncertainty, perhaps reflecting the political and social anxieties of the post-war era. Arp's signature biomorphic forms, inspired by natural elements, create a dynamic interplay of negative and positive space, inviting viewers to contemplate the relationship between form and emptiness. This piece, now housed in Tate Modern, London, is characteristic of Arp's exploration of organic shapes and the interplay of chance and control in artistic creation.