Tightrope Acrobats
Artist
Chaim Gross
(American, 1904 - 1991)
Date1962
MediumBronze
Dimensions84 x 20 x 20 in.
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineLong Term Loan from the Renee and Chaim Gross Foundation
Object number2011.114LTL
DescriptionMovement was always an important factor in Gross's sculpture, and he consistently emphasized expressive bodily gestures and abstract lines and curves. In "Tightrope Acrobats", Gross suspends in perfect equilibrium three figures in the middle of a routine. Their bodies span upwards and outwards, simultaneously creating one dynamic entity. "Tightrope Acrobats" is made of bronze, a medium Gross favored later in his career because of the freedom that preceding plaster casts allowed him. The surface of the bronze is covered in a rich natural texture further animates the work. Gross used an abstract style emphasizing forms and volume to articulate a playful, spirited language of movement and rhythm. Whatever his choice of medium, Gross's sculptures contain a compelling sense of life and vitality, unique to sculpture at the time
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