Bench 1966

This is Isamu Noguchi’s "Bench," and it's hard to say exactly when he made it, but it's clear that he carefully selected stone to carve this piece. The stone is not so much carved as coaxed into shape, retaining a kind of raw, earthy quality. I love the way Noguchi lets the stone speak for itself, the texture is rough, not highly polished, you can see the marks of his tools, it's not obscured. It feels very process-oriented, like you're witnessing the journey from raw material to refined form. This isn’t just a bench; it’s a conversation between the artist and the stone. Think about the way Noguchi manages to make the stone seem to flow and how that relates to the form. It reminds me of Brancusi's sculptures, both artists had a knack for distilling forms down to their essence while retaining a sense of movement and lightness. Art is this ongoing dialogue, isn't it? Where artists borrow, respond, and challenge each other across time and space. And a piece like this invites us to join in, to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the table.