Envelope

Claire Falkenstein, Envelope, 1958, steel wire assemblage, 48 x 60 x 36 in. (122.0 x 152.4 x 91.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1981.109.6

Artwork Details

Title: Envelope
Artist: Claire Falkenstein
Date: 1958
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
3rd Floor
/
North Wing
Dimensions: 48 x 60 x 36 in. (122.0 x 152.4 x 91.4 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection
Mediums: steel
Mediums Description: steel wire assemblage
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Abstract
Object Number: 1981.109.6
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1981.109.6

Artwork Description

The interval, the space between, has always been as important as the form to me.
--Claire Falkenstein

A traditional sculpture is solid, made to sit firmly on a pedestal. Envelope is different. Created from wire and hanging in midair, it operates like a three-dimensional drawing, outlining and defining space without filling it.

Claire Falkenstein intended this piece to be seen from all sides. Notice how its contours appear to morph as you move around it. Its form might bring to mind something as vast as the galaxy or as small as a cocoon.