Spectre
1953
David Smith's 'Spectre' (1953) combines steel and bronze in a dynamically fused abstract sculptural composition. The work showcases Smith's innovative approach to welded metal sculpture and modernist abstraction. The contrasting materials create visual and textural interest within the three-dimensional form.
- Medium
- Steel and bronze dynamically fuse in David Smith’s
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Morning Session
November 14, 2018
Artists in conversation
Alexander Calder
American · b. 1898
Calder similarly pioneered abstract metal sculpture in the postwar American modernist tradition, working with steel and other metals to create dynamic three dimensional forms that balance geometric abstraction with expressive energy.
Richard Stankiewicz
American · b. 1922
Stankiewicz was a direct contemporary of Smith who also built welded steel and metal abstract sculptures in the 1950s, sharing the same postwar American sensibility of fusing industrial materials into expressive modernist forms.
Eduardo Chillida
Spanish · b. 1924
Chillida worked extensively in forged and welded steel to create powerful geometric abstract sculptures with strong visual tension and material contrast, closely paralleling the dark metallic dynamism and structural boldness found in Spectre.
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