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Black Cube

Object NameSculpture
Artist Marian Karel (Czech, b. 1944)
Made FromChodopak (Vitrolite), Wood, Carpet Pad (?)
Date2000
Place MadeCzech Republic, Prague
TechniqueSlumped, cut, polished, assembled
SizeOverall H: 103.5 cm, W: 102.6 cm, D: 102.4 cm
Accession Number2000.3.63
Credit LineGift of the artist and the Heller Gallery, NY
Curatorial Area(s)
Exhibitions
Czech Glass Now: Contemporary Sculpture, 1970-2004
Not On View
Interpretive Notes
Black Cube is so dark and reflective that it is almost invisible. It appears to lack substance, like a shadow. Yet its slightly bulging sides reveal an energy contained within. This sculpture is abstract: rather than telling a story, it represents an idea. In Karel’s drawing of Black Cube, which you see here, the energy inside the sculpture is created by spheres and squares that act like an internal dynamo. This theoretical energy source pushes the walls of the cube outward, creating the bulging sides and the distortion of the reflective surface. Karel uses light, glass, and geometric forms to make illusionistic sculptures that challenge the viewer’s perceptions of space and dimension.
Physical DescriptionOpaque black glass, wood, carpet pad (?), silicone (?); Vitrolite sheet glass, slumped, cut, polished, assembled; wood base. Square shape with slightly bulging sides. Five sides are glass and base is wood with wood and carpet pad.
Provenance
Source Marian Karel (Czech, b. 1944) - 2000-12-05
Source Heller Gallery - 2000-12-05
Object copyright© Marian Karel
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