Mathías Goeritz (1915-1990)

Atlantic Richfield Collection, Denver
Denver Art Museum, Denver (Deaccessioned, 2009)

Lily Kassner, Mathias Goeritz. Obras 1915 - 1990, Mexico City, 1998, no. 717, p. 178, illustrated

The work is in very good condition. The perforations and ruptures to the metallic surface are inherent to the work. Furthermore, the scratches throughout the piece are most likely done by the artist at work. The wood panel on the background is a maroon color. There is a 3 in. section on the left half of the panel where the metal appears to have rubbed slightly. This is also present on the bottom part of the far right edge.
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After the death of his wife Marianne in 1958, Mathias Goeritz fell into a world of spiritual hopelessness and disappointment. In his quest for creative anonymity, he covered a series of wood stretchers with gold leaf and called them Messages. They all refer to dramatic passages of the Bible. 
Goeritz dedicated himself wholeheartedly to his work, much like the craftsmen of the past, without any interest in highlighting his authorship.  
Goeritz greatly admired Herbert Bayer and the Bauhaus artists. So much so, that in 1968 he invited Bayer to participate in the Ruta de la Amistad, a project of monumental sculptures in Mexico City. Bayer in turn invited Goeritz to work on several projects commissioned by the oil giant ARCO.  This is one of the two Messages made in gold-plated brass that were created in 1979 to decorate the ARCO headquarters in Denver Colorado.

Dr. Lily Kassner, Mexico