"The starting point for this book is the work of Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957), as expressed in his reduction of volume to tease out formal essence. Some thirty-five exemplary works by Brancusi, among them 'The Kiss' and the 'Column of the Infinite', thus initiate a line of inquiry into the essence and the possibilities of sculpture, the discussion of which continues with a selection of works from different periods by Richard Serra (born 1939), whose art opens up new 'ways of seeing' to his viewers. The resulting juxtaposition of Brancusi's sensuous modeling of marble, bronze, wood, and plaster with Serra's minimalist steel sculptures set in motion a fascinating dialogue. The essays by Friedrich Teja Bach, Alfred Pacquement, Oliver Wick, and others conspire with the concentrated selection of works to underscore not only the contrasts between these two pioneering artists, but also their common ground enabling the reader to experience anew the universal power of sculpture." --Jacket.

“The rhythm of the body moving through space has been the motivating source of most of my work.”—Richard Serra Drawn from talks between celebrated artist Richard Serra and acclaimed art historian Hal Foster held over a fifteen-year period, this volume offers revelations into Serra’s prolific six-decade career and the ideas that have informed his working practice. Conversations about Sculpture is both an intimate look at Serra’s life and work, with candid reflections on personal moments of discovery, and a provocative examination of sculptural form from antiquity to today. Serra and Foster explore such subjects as the artist’s work in steel mills as a young man; the impact of music, dance, and architecture on his art; the importance of materiality and site specificity to his aesthetic; the controversies and contradictions his work has faced; and his belief in sculpture as experience. They also discuss sources of inspiration—from Donatello and Brancusi to Japanese gardens and Machu Picchu—revealing a history of sculpture across time and culture through the eyes of one of the medium’s most brilliant figures. Introduced with an insightful preface by Foster, this probing dialogue is beautifully illustrated with duotone images that bring to life both Serra's work and his key commitments.

Studies major works by important sculptors since Rodin in the light of different approaches to general sculptural issues to reveal the logical progressions from nineteenth-century figurative works to the conceptual work of the present.

"This book offers a detailed presentation of Richard Serra's entire career, from his early experiments with materials like rubber, neon, and lead to the environmentally scaled steel works of recent years, including three monumental new sculptures created for the exhibition that this book accompanies."--BOOK JACKET.

Potts also offers a detailed view of selected iconic works by sculptors ranging from Antonio Canova and Auguste Rodin to Constantin Brancusi, David Smith, Carl Andre, Eva Hesse and Louise Bourgeois - key players in modern thinking about the sculptural. The impact of minimalism features prominently in this discussion, for it disrupted accepted understanding of how a viewer interacts with a work of art, thereby placing the phenomenology of viewing three-dimensional objects for the first time at the center of debate about modern visual art."--Jacket.

Essays by Hal Foster and Carmen Gim nez.

The pure, abstract sculptures made by Constantin Brancusi have had a large and enthusiastic audience in New York ever since they were first shown on American soil at the 1913 Armory Show. The numerous American collectors, muses, friends, and exhibitions that enabled his success had a profound influence on the eccentric Romanian artist who lived in Paris. And the feeling was definitely reciprocated. From the trial concerning his Bird in Space--which helped define modern art--to his first museum retrospective, and his dream of a skyscraper sculpture, New York was the place where Brancusi's career unfolded. Over the last one hundred years his effect on the city's art scene has never waned. Through stunning archival images and text by Brancusi authority Jérôme Neutres, Brancusi New York tells the story of the mutually beneficial relationship between the sculptor and the Big Apple. The book also features gorgeous new photographs of the five bronze sculptures on display at the Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York for the exhibition Brancusi in New York: 1913-2013.