Description:

Kenneth D. Snelson (American, 1927-2016) , "Four Chances", 1979-99, aluminum and steel wire, signed, dated and numbered "0/4" on one aluminum tube, h. 15 in., w. 19 1/4 in., d. 15 1/2 in.; accompanied by a copy of a letter detailing provenance. (2 pcs.) Provenance: Collection of artist's widow, Katherine Snelson; Private Collection, TX.

  • Notes: Kenneth Snelson was born and raised in Pendleton, Oregon. At an early age he started constructing model airplanes in his family’s basement where he could escape from “normal family bickering”. This hobby combined with his father’s passion for cameras and photography laid groundwork for his future artistic career. After serving in the Navy for about a year until the end of WWII, he spent his time pursuing higher education at several different universities, often switching his focus of study from business to English to architecture before settling on painting for a couple years. It wasn’t until his first summer in Black Mountain College in 1948 that influential artist and instructor Josef Albers noticed his talent for three dimensional objects and encouraged Snelson to pursue sculpture. Albers then connected him with architect Buckminster Fuller who shared an interest in geometric form and using laws of physics in art. Fuller later became famous for patenting the geodesic dome, a structure Snelson helped him conceptualize, though their relationship eventually turned contentious due to accusations of the architect using the sculptor’s ideas without credit. Over time, the resentment thawed and Snelson later expressed his respect and appreciation for Fuller and his work. The sculpture “Four Chances”, on offer here, is a small-scale model of his 1982 piece in the collection of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in New York. The title refers to the edition size of the smaller models—with this one, numbered “0,” presumedly the first of the maquettes to have been made—as well as the number of steel elements of which there are also four. The suspended, shiny tubes are mesmerizing, seemingly gravity-defying, and Snelson’s careful control of his media showcases the structure itself while also exploring its relationship to the space it occupies. Re.f: Bostic, Connie and Kenneth Snelson. “Kenneth Snelson Interviewed by Connie Bostic.” Black Mountain Museum Arts Center. July 22, 2008. blackmountaincollege.org. Accessed Oct. 26, 2022.
  • Condition: If Condition is NOT stated in the description of the lot, the absence of a condition report does not indicate the lot is free of damage or condition issues. Available Condition Reports will appear as an additional image. Condition Reports and photographs may be requested on items until the Wednesday prior to the auction. Bid accordingly. All sales are final, no returns are accepted on the basis of condition.

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November 19, 2022 11:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

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