HARRY BERTOIA | Untitled (Monumental Bush)

Collection of the artist
Kaare Berntsen Collection, Oslo, Norway
Private Collection, Norway
Phillips de Pury and Co., New York, December 15, 2010, lot 44

Harry Bertoia, Kaare Berntsen Gallery, Oslo, October 29-November 9, 1972
Harry Bertoia høvikodde, Kaare Berntsen Gallery, Oslo, June 16-August 14, 1977

Kaare Berntsen Jr., Harry Bertoia, Oslo, 1972, p. 19 (for the present lot illustrated)
Nancy N. Schiffer and Val O. Bertoia, The World of Bertoia, Atglen, PA, 2003, p. 117 (for the present lot illustrated)
Delphine and Reed Krakoff, Houses That We Dreamt Of: The Interiors of Delphine and Reed Krakoff, New York, 2017, pp. 81 and 195 (for the present lot illustrated)

Overall excellent original condition. The bronze surfaces with some faint light surfaces scratches, minor rubbing to the high points and scattered areas of oxidation consistent with age. A few stems are slightly misaligned and not visually distracting. The contours of the form are transformed as one experiences the sculpture in the round. A powerful example of Bertoia's "bush" series, the sculpture presents with an incredible dynamism and liveliness. The beaded bush forms are among Harry's most ambitious designs - highly organic and fluid - requiring months of painstaking labor to craft the perfect undulating sea of patinated knobs. A well-documented example, this bush was exhibited at the outdoor garden of gallerist Kaare Bernsten in the 1970s, further solidifying this larger-than life biomorphic form as one of Bertoia's seminal achievements in bronze and copper.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This lot is offered together with a Certificate of Authenticity from the Harry Bertoia Foundation, Bozeman, Montana.

The partnership of American sculptor Harry Bertoia and Norwegian gallerist Kaare Berntsen was borne out of business but ultimately developed into a close and meaningful friendship. Introduced in the late 1960s by their mutual friend, Clifford West, Bertoia and Berntsen collaborated on multiple exhibitions through the 1970s. In particular, Bertoia’s 1972 and 1978 solo exhibitions in Oslo led him to produce some of his most seminal bush and sounding sculptures, including the present monumental bush. Exhibited during Harry’s first solo show at the gallery in 1972 and again in 1977, this extraordinary sculpture is characterized by its dense and even beaded texture, which contrasts with its striking asymmetrical silhouette. Presented and documented in Berntsen’s garden, the naturalistic form of this bush sculpture, along with other large biomorphic beaded sculptures integrated with the landscape while simultaneously sparking visual contrast with its patinated steel and copper composition.

Noted for his dexterity with tools and machinery, Bertoia was a master welder. This larger than life work demonstrates his creative approach to form and unparalleled technical skill. In the 1950s, Bertoia transitioned from furniture designs to unique abstract constructions in steel, bronze and copper, producing a variety of forms ranging from organic, fluid pieces alluding to nature, to dynamic, geometric works channeling the cosmos. The beaded bush-forms are among Harry’s most ambitious, requiring months of painstaking labor to craft the perfect undulating sea of patinated knobs. The towering, 75-inch high cloud of steel rises up from the ground via a central stem, which appears imposing yet weightless. Its impressive stature conveys a dignified, almost figurative quality, imparting the sculpture with incredible dynamism and liveliness. Part of a series that remains Bertoia’s most direct reference to nature, this monumental work is a testament to the artist’s mature vision and mastery of his craft.