TINGUELY, Jean

ca. 1960

mixed media and Collage on cardboard

15 3/4 x 50 5/8 in

Jean Tinguely was best known for his whirring machine-like sculptures that were constructed from scrap materials, including old radios, wheels, springs and motors and oftentimes alluded to the rampant consumer society he saw all about. The compositions were devoid of function but reflected Tinguelys belief that human existence was absurd, subjected to the whims of chance, and even prone to chaos. This drawing features three different views of Chaos I, a public artwork in Columbus, Indiana. While designing the piece, Tinguely made more than 70 depictions of this sculpture in a variety of media. In addition to the pencil strokes that give the impression of movement, Tinguely incorporated several fanciful Collaged elements, such as the flag. These drawings helped Tinguely work through different facets of his projects and often captured mundane information associated with working on such a large project. For example, on the far right panel, is the name and telephone number of Irwin Miller, the person who commissioned the sculpture.

1960

TINGUELY, Jean

Swiss, Fribourg 1925 - Lives Essones, France

Gift of Julia Emerson

1983.66