1970s Abstract Sculptures

Metal rings were used to create the unusual stepped sculpture, shown here, from Italy c. 1970s. Arranged in ascending and descending order, ...

Oak sculpture on marble base circa 1970, unsigned

Yongjin Han was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1934. After the Korean War—in which he fought, lying about his age in order to enlist—he was one of six students admitted to the sculpture program at the Seoul National University. At the time of his enrollment little of his native city remained intact; nonetheless, he had never felt more responsible to his work, firm in the conviction that artistic expression is every bit as essential to life and human nature as eating, drinking, or breathing. One of Han’s teachers was Kim Chong Yung, a pioneer of Korean abstract sculpture, and by the time of his graduation he had adopted the abstraction that had seized both Europe and the United States several years before. . In 1967 he relocated to the USA, where he studied at Dartmouth and Columbia. Over the course of his long career the artist returned to Korea with frequency and made extended stays in Japan and Europe. Trips to Korea signified something more than mere homesickness: Han’s work, though made largely in America, remained grounded in his rich cultural heritage. Korea rests on a bedrock of granite, and freestanding sculpture produced of the stone has for centuries demarcated sites of historical and religious significance. Han’s sculpture bridges this past with modernity. Richard A. Born, former Curator at the Smart Museum at the University of Chicago, has said that Han “brought Korea’s tradition of direct stone carving out of figuration into a refined, non-objective abstraction.” For his part, Han put very little stock in designations; his focus, instead, was on the stone itself. His pieces explore a certain harmonization with nature. Han, when describing his work, said, "As stone has been around since the beginning of time, it has much to teach us if we care to slow down and listen." He believed that each stone has its own history, character, and energy and that his task was to draw out these inherently spiritual qualities. He described his process as a “dialogue” with his material: "The stone tells me it has an itch in a certain spot, so I scratch it—and we both feel better!" Han worked alone and with manual tools, and the process is arduous. Carving stone this way takes time, and, what’s more, required great force—yet Han’s sculptures, even the monumental ones, are, as friend and fellow artist David Parker...

Yves Bosquet large ceramic sculpture, Belgium.

Yves Rhayé (1936-1995) large terracotta sculpture, circa 1970.

Italian 70s Terracotta Abstract Sculpture. Three elements can be freely combined together creating a constantly changing shape

Set of two abstract sculptures with painted steel frames.

Incredible abstract sculpture in steel by Franz Weissmann 1979

School of fish glass sculpture attributed to Livio Seguso, 1970s Italy New Wooden Base Base : 40x40cm fish 1 : 55h x 14 x 3 cm fish 2 : 59h x 20x 3...

Steel sculpture signed and dated Vlavianos in perfect conditions.

Abstract Minimal sculpture hand carved granite by the Dutch artist J. Metaho, made in the 1970's. The polished slice of granite is carved with triangular openings and floating planes...

c. 1970s in great vintage condition. W. Glen Davis is an American sculptor who was born in the 20th Century

Iron sculpture inspired by Harry Bertoia, circa 1960.   

Stell sculture by Nicolas Vlavianos.

Claude Viseux est un peintre, sculpteur et graveur aquafortiste et lithographe français né le 3 juillet 1927 à Champagne-sur-Oise et mort le 9 novembre 2008 à Anglet. 'est dans les années 1959-1960 que la sculpture de Claude Viseux, qualifiée de « protéiforme, onirique, fantastique » — ami de Max Ernst, Man Ray, Francis Ponge et Henri Michaux, il ne désavoue pas une parenté avec le Surréalisme9 — se substitue à la peinture, ses premières réalisations étant les objets trouvés en bord de mer qu'il pétrifie dans la cire10 d'une part, les empreintes de pierres et d'algues coulées en bronze d'autre part. En 1960, il signe le Manifeste des 121 titré « Déclaration sur le droit à l’insoumission dans la guerre d’Algérie ». En 1961, ses expérimentations s'orientent vers les corps organiques, notamment avec sa série Ostéales constituée d'assemblages d'os fossilisés qu'il patine ou au contraire décape, qu'il visse, scie, assemble et plastifie. Les Concrétudes ou Coulées directes qui suivent en 1961-1962 sont obtenues à partir de coulées de métal en fusion dans le sable, générant des reliefs qu'il soude sur des plaques d'acier. Il va cependant adopter rapidement l'acier inoxydable — qu'il est avec Pol Bury parmi les premiers à employer en sculpture — comme matériau de prédilection. « Il assemble divers rebus industriels — tuyaux, écrous, boulons, cuves… — pour créer des sculptures à mi-chemin du mécanique et du biologique » restitue ainsi Sophie Serra11. Claude Viseux, qui fréquente alors Jean Tinguely, Piotr Kowalski, Michel Guino, Takis et César, confirme : « Ma récupération de l'élément industriel s'élargit vers les aciers spéciaux, avec un essai de vocabulaire formel : des barres, des profilés, des sphères, des rotules, des fonds de cuves, des chambres à combustion de Boeing, des tubulures, des soupapes de navire »9. « L'artiste entre au cœur de la réalité industrielle, prospecte dans les chaînes de montage de Renault et rôde dans les terrains vaques autour des usines », restitue donc l'encyclopédie Les Muses : « il récupère ferrailles, pièces détachées, débris de voitures, vieux châssis, toute une série d'éléments devenus inutiles. Ils les assemblent, tels quels, sans les modifier. Des créatures agressives ou pathétiques vont surgir de ce combat physique et dialectique que l'artiste livre avec la matière et entrer dans le domaine d'une poétique étrange, surnaturelle5 ». Dans les années 1967-1970, Les « structures actives » en acier inoxydable procèdent ainsi de la production industrielle de série. Elles se répartissent en familles de formes combinatoires composées par addition, soustraction, multiplication, division. Il confirme : « le monde industriel est ma nature, mon bouillon de culture, où je cherche des corps, des familles de corps, des genres, des espèces, dans un aller-retour de l'artificiel au naturel pour confondre les règnes, pour en inventer d'autres selon une géométrie organique qui féconde les différents types de structures, qui aménage la forme concernée par la forme à venir »9. En 1968, Claude Viseux s'installe à la villa Baudran à Arcueil, atelier qu'il conservera jusqu'en 1992. Si des corps imaginaires naissent ainsi des pièces mécaniques que Claude Viseux emprunte à l'automobile, à l'avion et au bateau, en 1972, « la symétrie de ces formes pures en inox », constate Lydia Harambourg, « l'amène à s'interroger sur la notion d'équilibre instable »12. Ses Instables sont de la sorte exposés à la Biennale de Venise en 1972 où, rappelle encore Lydia Harambourg, une salle entière est consacrée « aux dessins qui reprennent son vocabulaire mécanique identitaire de sphères, toupies, hélices, anneaux, astrolabes et balanciers »12. Les Instables sont de même, en 1973, présentés à la galerie Le Point cardinal à Paris où Claude Viseux avait déjà exposé en 1968 avec Henri Michaux et Joaquin Ferrer...

Painted wood.

Abstract geometric sculpture by Edison Parra (1945-), Venezuela 1970s. Parra had his academical training between 1960 and 1966, first at the Neptalí Rincón Art School in Maracaibo and later at the Cristóbal Rojas Art...

Einar Höste 1930-2013. Sculpture in brass, “Hopvikbar sfär” (Folded sphere). The sculpture was exhibited at Galleri Burén, Stockholm 1973. Made in 6 ex. ...

Belgium; 1970's; Glass sculpture; Postmodern art; Michel Martens, a large glass sculpture with several punctuation marks, colored, frosted, and sandblasted glass. Signed by the artist on the bottom right corner. Belgium artist Michel Martens is famous for his impressive glass art. He created this postmodern piece of art in the 1970s. Martens (1921-2006) was a respected designer of stained glass windows and had an impressive career creating stained glass windows for churches. His credo was 'light is my material, glass my medium'. Martens was an autodidact and first taught himself the technique of stained windows. He designed an impressive 7000 meters stained glass between 1947 and 1989 for churches and monasteries. From 1968 onwards, Martens started to lose the church as a main client and therefore started to develop a practice in which he worked with mirrors that were also suitable for the private sector and private homes. With his radical and modern approach to glass art, Martens became part of the Post-war Abstract Modernist movement. Using mirrored glass opened up new perspectives for Martens. He even started using industrial glass as well, for his so-called 'Crazy Mirrors...

1973 "Romolo Gling" abstract sculpture in metal.

Abstract Geometric sculpture by Edison Parra (1945-), Venezuela 1970s. Parra had his academical training between 1960 and 1966, first at the Neptalí Rincón Art School in Maracaibo and later at the Cristóbal Rojas Art...

Object by Rune Hagberg, Sweden, 1970s. Mixed Media Measurements: H: 32.5 cm/ 1' D: 11 cm/ 4 1/3" Signed R.H Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Hagberg became heavily influenced by Eastern ...

La Murrina sculpture with wrought iron filiform support, 1960s. Packaging with bubble wrap and cardboard boxes is included. If the wooden packaging is needed (fumigated crates or bo...

Sculpture in Murano glass Red Can be used as a base for a lamp, circa 1970 Size: H 63 Diameter at the top 6 Diameter at the bottom 12 190 Euros.

Abstract cubistic ceramic sculpture, The Netherlands 1970s. The sculpture is made out of heavy chamotte clay with a beautiful black glazed finish. Interesting composition out of seve...

Here is an uncommon artwork by a lesser known Italian artist named Lino Tiné. Crafted from three sheets of steel, each decorated with a different pattern, it has a nice materic appea...

Console table made of rectangles and squares in gilt metal, France, 1970s. Eclectic piece that fits well in a Hollywood Regency interior inspired by Maison Jansen or Willy Rizzo. ...

Pop surrealist sculpture by Robert Brock, cirac 1974. Laminate and cast plaster Brock was born in Tacoma, Ohio and was a graduate of the University of Dayton, Dayton Art Institute...

1970-1980 bronze sculpture by Philippe Berry, titled "L'Homme éléphant" ("The Elephant Man"). Details.  

Italian modern abstract organic sculpture in terracotta, 1970s Round base sculpture in glazed and painted terracotta. The subject takes up abstract organic shapes: in fact it recalls...

Ultra rare sculpture with two different marble bowls and a metal zipper. Very nice quality.

A striking and unique wooden sculpture by Swedish artist Sigvard Nilsson, created for Söwe Konst during the 1970s. Entirely crafted in solid elm, this piece showcases Nilsson’s refin...

Incredible NICOLAS VLAVIANOS brazilian steel 1970 abstract sculpture with wood base.

Incredible steel sculpture with wood base signed VL 74 to Nicolas Vlavianos 1974

Péter Pierre Székely (1923-2001) Sculpture, 1975 Marble Measures: 11 H x 8.5 W x 9 D inches 27.9 H x 21.6 W x 22.9 D cm Signed and plated, un...