Bird in Space

Copied Liz Larner, Bird in Space, 1989, nylon cord, silk thread, stainless steel, approx. 12 x 28 3⁄4 x 19 ft., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Susan and Leonard Nimoy and museum purchase in part through the Gene Davis Memorial Fund, 2002.46, © 1989, Liz Larner

Artwork Details

Title
Bird in Space
Artist
Date
1989
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
approx. 12 x 28 3⁄4 x 19 ft.
Copyright
© 1989, Liz Larner
Credit Line
Gift of Susan and Leonard Nimoy and museum purchase in part through the Gene Davis Memorial Fund
Mediums Description
nylon cord, silk thread, stainless steel
Classifications
Keywords
  • Abstract
Object Number
2002.46
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2002.46

Artwork Description

Larner wove two curving planes of fibers that define the space around them in different ways, depending on where the viewer stands. Her work makes us reconsider what sculpture is. There is no weight, no solid mass, and no pedestal. The title refers to an abstract work by Constantin Brancusi from the 1920s, a sleek metal shape that seems to rise from its marble base, breaking free of old notions of sculpture.

Larner's installation finishes what Brancusi started. Instead of a self-contained object, we see a shifting form that appears to be taking off and dissipating in the air. The nylon and silk threads are like lines drawn through space, as though an idea jotted down in a sketchbook had materialized, however briefly, in the gallery.

Exhibition Label, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2006

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