The Moment
1966
Barnett Newman's exploration of sculptural form reaches a crystalline clarity in this 1966 Plexiglas work from his "Four on Plexiglas" series. The transparent medium allows Newman to investigate his signature concern with pure color and light in three dimensions, extending his philosophical inquiries beyond the canvas into spatial relationships. At over four feet in height yet maintaining an intimate width of just five inches, the piece embodies Newman's lifelong pursuit of the sublime through geometric reduction. Catalogued as Barnett Newman Foundation 227, this work represents a rare foray into sculptural media by the master of Color Field painting.
- Medium
- Plexiglas
- Dimensions
- Signed
- Yes
Notes
From series 'Four on Plexiglas'. Barnett Newman Foundation 227.
Est. Current Value
Collectors of Barnett Newman
Also spotted by
Artists in conversation
Dan Flavin
American · b. 1933
Flavin's minimalist light sculptures share Newman's commitment to pure color, luminosity, and the sublime through industrial materials, creating monochromatic experiences that transform spatial relationships with similar verticality and optical intensity.
Donald Judd
American · b. 1928
Judd's Plexiglas and acrylic sculptures from the same era explore transparent and translucent industrial materials with geometric precision, investigating color, light, and three dimensional form in ways that directly parallel Newman's sculptural Plexiglas investigations.
Larry Bell
American · b. 1939
Bell's coated glass and Plexiglas sculptures engage the same fascination with transparency, monochromatic color fields, and light transmission as Newman's piece, creating works where the material itself becomes the subject through its optical and spatial properties.
Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion