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Helen Pashgian — Untitled
Helen Pashgian

Untitled

1968

Cast in polyester resin in 1968, this intimate disc by Helen Pashgian distills the essential concerns of California's Light and Space movement into a form barely larger than a hand. The translucent material holds light within its body rather than simply reflecting it, producing a luminous interior glow that shifts perceptibly as the viewer moves around the object. At twenty centimeters in diameter, the work commands attention through precision and restraint, demonstrating how Pashgian transformed industrial materials into vehicles for meditative, almost phenomenological experience. Pashgian was among the earliest artists to work seriously with cast resin, developing her practice in Los Angeles during a period when the region's artists were reimagining the relationship between sculpture, light, and perception. This unsigned example from 1968 places the work squarely within her foundational years, predating the broader recognition that would later accompany the movement. The material's apparent simplicity belies the technical rigor required to achieve such optical clarity and depth, and the disc form, smooth and self-contained, invites prolonged looking rather than quick appraisal. Now held in the collection context of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, this work carries strong institutional provenance and represents an opportunity to acquire a historically significant object from a pivotal moment in West Coast art. Pashgian's reputation has grown considerably in recent decades, with major retrospectives affirming her central role in shaping a uniquely Californian sculptural tradition. The piece is offered signed, and its modest scale makes it exceptionally versatile for private display.

Medium
Cast polyester resin
Signed
Yes
Location
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, CA

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About this work

Helen Pashgian, Untitled, 1968

Cast in polyester resin in 1968, this intimate disc by Helen Pashgian distills the essential concerns of California's Light and Space movement into a form barely larger than a hand. The translucent material holds light within its body rather than simply reflecting it, producing a luminous interior glow that shifts perceptibly as the viewer moves around the object. At twenty centimeters in diameter, the work commands attention through precision and restraint, demonstrating how Pashgian transformed industrial materials into vehicles for meditative, almost phenomenological experience. Pashgian was among the earliest artists to work seriously with cast resin, developing her practice in Los Angeles during a period when the region's artists were reimagining the relationship between sculpture, light, and perception. This unsigned example from 1968 places the work squarely within her foundational years, predating the broader recognition that would later accompany the movement. The material's apparent simplicity belies the technical rigor required to achieve such optical clarity and depth, and the disc form, smooth and self-contained, invites prolonged looking rather than quick appraisal. Now held in the collection context of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, this work carries strong institutional provenance and represents an opportunity to acquire a historically significant object from a pivotal moment in West Coast art. Pashgian's reputation has grown considerably in recent decades, with major retrospectives affirming her central role in shaping a uniquely Californian sculptural tradition. The piece is offered signed, and its modest scale makes it exceptionally versatile for private display.

Medium
Cast polyester resin
Year
1968
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, CA

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