GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Naum Gabo, one of the leading proponents of the Russian avant-garde art movement called constructivism, was among a generation of artists at the beginning of the 20th century who responded to recent discoveries in science and new theories about reality. They sought new visual forms and materials to give expression to these enormous changes that transformed the modern world. The influence of the cubists’ fragmentation of human anatomy is clear in this work; Gabo is, however, more radical in abstracting the figure. Here he renews sculpture in form and matter, manipulating space as an expressive element and pioneering the use of modern synthetic materials.
Excerpt from
Heather MacDonald, DMA label copy, 2012.
NOTES
Created--original design 1916, celluloid version 1923-24
Geography differs based on original design versus celluloid version. Celluloid version was most likely created in Berlin. Original design might be Norway (went there for most of WW1).
Text entered into TMS, Checked Piction
Naum Gabo, one of the leading proponents of the Russian avant-garde art movement called constructivism, was among a generation of artists at the beginning of the 20th century who responded to recent discoveries in science and new theories about reality. They sought new visual forms and materials to give expression to these enormous changes that transformed the modern world. The influence of the cubists' fragmentation of human anatomy is clear in this work; Gabo is, however, more radical in abstracting the figure. Here he renews sculpture in form and material, manipulating space as an expressive element and pioneering the use of celluloid plastic.
Dorothy Kosinski, DMA label copy, 2003.
Naum Gabo, one of the leading proponents of constructivism, was among a generation of artists who sought new visual forms and materials to express the enormous changes of the modern world at the beginning of the twentieth century. He studied engineering in Munich from 1910 to 1914 but quickly became interested in art through his brother Antoine Pevsner, who was active as a painter and who introduced Gabo to the Parisian avant-garde in 1913-14. Gabo's first important series of sculpture constructions includes Constructed Head No. 2. It is a paradigm of the arist's radical constructivist approach to structure and movement and, in its material and form, embodies his fascination with technological innovations and modern concepts of the nature of space. Instead of modeling the figure from a solid mass in the traditional method, he built the head and torso by attaching curved and flat planes to a common core, evoking a sense of motion. Although the influence of the cubists' fragmentation of human anatomy is clear, Gabo is even more radical in abstracting the figure. Space becomes an expressive element in the figure's design, which he based on a carefully conceived geometric diagram.
The sculpture exists in several versions: during World War I, perhaps due to the scarcity of materials, Gabo created the initial maquette in cardboard and later, in 1917, he made a version in galvanized iron. In 1923-24 Gabo used the same measurements for this model, which represents a pioneering use of celluloid plastic in sculptural form.
Shirley Reece-Hughes, "Constructed Head No. 2", in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 125.
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44997717: UMO Learn about Naum Gabo
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- Tate, London~See another version of Head No. 2 at the Tate.
- Guggenheim, New York~Learn more about the life and work of Naum Gabo.
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General Description
Naum Gabo, one of the leading proponents of the Russian avant-garde art movement called constructivism, was among a generation of artists at the beginning of the 20th century who responded to recent discoveries in science and new theories about reality. They sought new visual forms and materials to give expression to these enormous changes that transformed the modern world. The influence of the cubists’ fragmentation of human anatomy is clear in this work; Gabo is, however, more radical in abstracting the figure. Here he renews sculpture in form and matter, manipulating space as an expressive element and pioneering the use of modern synthetic materials.
Excerpt from
Heather MacDonald, DMA label copy, 2012.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- Tate, London~See another version of Head No. 2 at the Tate.
- Guggenheim, New York~Learn more about the life and work of Naum Gabo.
Notes
Created--original design 1916, celluloid version 1923-24
Geography differs based on original design versus celluloid version. Celluloid version was most likely created in Berlin. Original design might be Norway (went there for most of WW1).
Text entered into TMS, Checked Piction
Naum Gabo, one of the leading proponents of the Russian avant-garde art movement called constructivism, was among a generation of artists at the beginning of the 20th century who responded to recent discoveries in science and new theories about reality. They sought new visual forms and materials to give expression to these enormous changes that transformed the modern world. The influence of the cubists' fragmentation of human anatomy is clear in this work; Gabo is, however, more radical in abstracting the figure. Here he renews sculpture in form and material, manipulating space as an expressive element and pioneering the use of celluloid plastic.
Dorothy Kosinski, DMA label copy, 2003.
Naum Gabo, one of the leading proponents of constructivism, was among a generation of artists who sought new visual forms and materials to express the enormous changes of the modern world at the beginning of the twentieth century. He studied engineering in Munich from 1910 to 1914 but quickly became interested in art through his brother Antoine Pevsner, who was active as a painter and who introduced Gabo to the Parisian avant-garde in 1913-14. Gabo's first important series of sculpture constructions includes Constructed Head No. 2. It is a paradigm of the arist's radical constructivist approach to structure and movement and, in its material and form, embodies his fascination with technological innovations and modern concepts of the nature of space. Instead of modeling the figure from a solid mass in the traditional method, he built the head and torso by attaching curved and flat planes to a common core, evoking a sense of motion. Although the influence of the cubists' fragmentation of human anatomy is clear, Gabo is even more radical in abstracting the figure. Space becomes an expressive element in the figure's design, which he based on a carefully conceived geometric diagram.
The sculpture exists in several versions: during World War I, perhaps due to the scarcity of materials, Gabo created the initial maquette in cardboard and later, in 1917, he made a version in galvanized iron. In 1923-24 Gabo used the same measurements for this model, which represents a pioneering use of celluloid plastic in sculptural form.
Shirley Reece-Hughes, "Constructed Head No. 2", in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 125.
Geography unverified
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Ivory rhodoid
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
44997717: UMO Learn about Naum Gabo
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
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