John Chamberlain

Acquired directly from the artist in 1975

Julie Sylvester, ed., John Chamberlain: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Sculpture 1954-1985, New York, 1986, cat. no. 551, p. 150, illustrated

This work is in very good and sound condition overall. There are some spots of losses and some light scratches to the painted areas. There is scattered rust to some of the metal parts which appears inherent to the found metal objects. All other surface inconsistencies appear to be inherent to the work and to the artist’s working method.
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John Chamberlain is renowned for his spontaneous method of assembling together discarded auto parts. These welded steel sculptures transcend their immense physicality, as the complex interaction of crumpled textures and striking color combinations project ineffable emotion. Like his early contemporaries, improvisation and spontaneity were essential elements in Chamberlain's sculpture. By manipulating the ready-made discarded automobile parts into new shapes, Chamberlain embraced the Abstract Expressionist artist's interest in the physicality of paint and brushstroke. His energetic and dramatic crushed compositions are credited as having infused volume and physical dimension into the gestural and iconic brushstrokes of the concurrent movement. Chamberlain combined different parts of automobiles or other scrap metal in an additive process where the endpoint bore no resemblance to the original object.  

Between 1967 and 1974, Chamberlain broke with his use of steel and explored different media such as foam, Plexiglas and foil paper. By 1974 he had returned to steel and created sleek sculptures that broke away from the Abstract Expressionist qualities of his earlier works.  His Vestry street studio had become the setting  to such prolific art making that once he had succeeded in covering the floors with sculpture,  he would move on to the walls, creating wall pieces and ultimately filling every wall in the studio. Zapf is born in this fertile environment. A bright yellow splatter jumps out to the viewer in a barely contained burst of energy that impregnates this sculpture. The unrestrained application of paint results in a glossy sculpture layered with multicolored splatters and drips of color to its crushed metal facets.  Willfully unrepressed, Zapf is characterized not only by Chamberlain's masterful handling of his chosen material but also his unparalleled capacity for creating arresting, intensely expressive sculpture out of mundane origins. Poetic and wonderfully deep, the intricacies of Chamberlain's sculpture continue to unfold with extended meditation.