Grey Sun

Isamu Noguchi, Grey Sun, 1967, Arni marble, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1969.158, © The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York
Isamu Noguchi, Grey Sun, 1967, Arni marble, 40 7839 3816 78 in. (103.8100.042.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1969.158, © The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York

Artwork Details

Title
Grey Sun
Date
1967
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
40 7839 3816 78 in. (103.8100.042.8 cm)
Copyright
© The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
Arni marble
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1969.158

Artwork Description

Believing that sculpture should be "an equivalent for natural forms and forces," Isamu Noguchi explored the sun's vital power in this massive marble. He derived its shape from a millstone, which, "inverted and elevated, becomes a sun-like image." Born in California to an American mother and Japanese father, Noguchi spent most of his childhood in Japan before continuing his education in the American Midwest, New York City, and Paris. This piece reflects his internationalist life and perspective, a blend of the biomorphic abstraction of European surrealism and traditional Japanese stonework.

Works by this artist (5 items)

Paula McCartney, Vermilion Flycatchers, 2006, chromogenic print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2010.44.3A-B, © 2010, Paula McCartney
Vermilion Flycatchers
Date2006
chromogenic print
Not on view
Paula McCartney, Orange Thrush, 2004, chromogenic print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2010.44.1A-B, © 2010, Paula McCartney
Orange Thrush
Date2004
chromogenic print
Not on view
Paula McCartney, Brewer's Blackbird, 2006, chromogenic print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 2010.46A-B, © 2010, Paula McCartney
Brewer’s Blackbird
Date2006
chromogenic print
Not on view
Paula McCartney, American Goldfinches, 2008, chromogenic print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2010.44.4A-B, © 2010, Paula McCartney
American Goldfinches
Date2008
chromogenic print
Not on view

Related Books

Noguchi_500.jpg
Isamu Noguchi, Archaic / Modern
Sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) made works that “speak of both the modern and the ancient in the same breath.” An essay by Dakin Hart traces themes in Noguchi’s sixty-year career—an expansive vision that ranged from landscape art to garden and playground designs, from sculptures featuring planets and outer space to those grappling with the atomic age, and from patented lamps and furniture to modern dance sets and costumes. More than sixty full-color plates highlight the timeless appeal of this thoroughly modern artist.

More Artworks from the Collection

Salvatore Mancini, Narragansett Electric, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.8
Narragansett Electric
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Salvatore Mancini, Remains of Lock, Millville, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.6
Remains of Lock, Millville
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Keisha Scarville, Chair, 2001, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Perkins Center for the Arts, 2002.17, © 2001, Keisha Scarville
Chair
Date2001
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Salvatore Mancini, Eel Fisherman, 2000, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., 2002.80.2
Eel Fisherman
Date2000
gelatin silver print
Not on view