



Untitled (Red Double Wheel)
1965
Rendered in fiberglass and pulsing with an assertive chromatic intensity, "Untitled (Red Double Wheel)" from 1965 offers an early and compelling window into De Wain Valentine's lifelong investigation of light, material, and form. The concentric wheel configuration draws the eye inward and outward simultaneously, generating a sense of optical movement that feels fully alive despite the stillness of the object. At just over forty centimeters in depth, the piece carries genuine sculptural presence, its saturated red surface interacting with ambient light in ways that shift subtly depending on the viewer's position and the conditions of the room. Valentine would go on to become a defining figure in the Light and Space movement centered in Southern California, and this work illuminates the formal thinking that underpinned that trajectory. The use of fiberglass here is significant, as Valentine was deeply engaged with industrial materials and their capacity to hold color and transmit luminosity in ways that traditional sculptural media could not. The double wheel motif speaks to a broader mid-1960s fascination with geometry, seriality, and perceptual experience, situating the piece comfortably within the moment when American sculpture was decisively moving away from the handmade and toward the rigorously fabricated. Signed by the artist and offered in fine condition, this is a rare opportunity to acquire a work from a formative period in Valentine's practice, before his iconic cast polyester resin discs brought him wider recognition. The piece ships from Lambertville, New Jersey, and represents a sound acquisition for collectors with interests in West Coast minimalism, Light and Space, or the broader history of postwar American sculpture.
- Medium
- Fiberglass
- Overall
- Signed
- Yes
- Spotted At
- Gallery · Rago/Wright/LAMA/Toomey & Co.
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