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De Wain Valentine — Circle Smoke Gray
De Wain Valentine

Circle Smoke Gray

1970

A pristine white plinth supports a circular disk of cast polyester resin, its cream and beige surface subtly textured with organic, smoke like patterns that seem to shift across the material's plane. The work exemplifies De Wain Valentine's pioneering exploration of industrial materials transformed through casting techniques, creating objects that challenge the boundary between sculpture and pure form. Measuring 88 by 88 centimeters, the disk presents a serene, meditative presence, its soft colorations and gentle surface variations inviting close viewing despite its substantial scale. Valentine's practice emerged from the 1960s Light and Space movement, wherein artists engaged with perception, materiality, and the phenomenological experience of minimalist abstraction. This work demonstrates his consistent investigation into how synthetic polymers can evoke natural phenomena while maintaining the clarity and precision of geometric form.

Medium
Cast polyester resin
Overall

For Sale — $250000

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Spotted works by De Wain Valentine

About this work

De Wain Valentine, Circle Smoke Gray, 1970

A pristine white plinth supports a circular disk of cast polyester resin, its cream and beige surface subtly textured with organic, smoke like patterns that seem to shift across the material's plane. The work exemplifies De Wain Valentine's pioneering exploration of industrial materials transformed through casting techniques, creating objects that challenge the boundary between sculpture and pure form. Measuring 88 by 88 centimeters, the disk presents a serene, meditative presence, its soft colorations and gentle surface variations inviting close viewing despite its substantial scale. Valentine's practice emerged from the 1960s Light and Space movement, wherein artists engaged with perception, materiality, and the phenomenological experience of minimalist abstraction. This work demonstrates his consistent investigation into how synthetic polymers can evoke natural phenomena while maintaining the clarity and precision of geometric form.

Medium
Cast polyester resin
Dimensions
overall: 88 x 88 x 6 cm
Year
1970
Seen at
Almine Rech, New York, NY

Related themes

Organic Texture, Twentieth Century, Industrial Material, White Pedestal, Perception And Space, American Artist, Cast Material, Contemporary Sculpture, Circular Form, Geometric Abstraction, Institutional Collection, Abstract Form, Light And Space, Polyester Resin, Cream And Beige, Material Innovation, Monochromatic Palette, Minimalism, Sculptural Object

More works by De Wain Valentine

Collected by

Derek Jones