Wall 1968

This freestanding painted steel sculpture, Wall, was made by Adolph Gottlieb. There is something playful and immediate about the arrangement of geometric shapes. Gottlieb’s sculptures were made later in his career, and they show a desire to simplify painting down to its essentials. They almost look like they could be children's building blocks. I’m struck by the boldness of the color palette: bright yellow and orange shapes playing off against large planes of black. Look at the surface quality! The matte surfaces contrast, creating a dynamic tension between flatness and depth. It reminds me of the work of artists like Carmen Herrera, another artist who explored the dialogue between color and form. Ultimately, this sculpture invites us to see the world in a new way, to find beauty and meaning in the simplest of forms. It’s a conversation, a dance, an ongoing experiment in seeing.