Robert Adams

Penwith Society, St Ives, 1956
Private Collection, Cornwall

London, Gimpel Fils Gallery, One-man exhibition (with William Gear), probably no.13 (another cast);
London, Gimpel Fils Gallery, One-man exhibition (with William Gear), no.31;
St Ives, Penwith Society, One-man exhibition, Spring 1956, no.78.

Alastair Grieve, The Sculpture of Robert Adams, Hampshire, 1992, no.157, p.168, illustrated pp.55, 168;
Alastair Grieve, Constructed Abstract Art in England: A Neglected Avant-Garde, Yale University Press, New Haven & London, 2005, pp.169-70, pl.225.

Traces of dirt have gathered in some of the crevices but the sculpture is in good overall condition. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 5381 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Conceived in 1953 and cast in an edition of 6, the first cast being in the collection of the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

It appears that this sculpture can be displayed either standing as here or inverted with the opening to the top, and period studio photographs exist showing both orientations. Along with Rectangular Bronze Form No.1 (Grieve 156) it belongs to a series of small sculptures that explore the permutations of these forms and which would be developed into the large 1954 concrete sculpture, Monolithic Form (Grieve 175) (private collection) shown at the Third International Exhibition of Sculpture in the Open Air at Holland Park in that year.