Maquette for Tilted Arc

Richard Serra, Maquette for Tilted Arc, 1980, bent and incised steel, 33018 in. (7.676.10.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1981.188

Artwork Details

Title
Maquette for Tilted Arc
Date
1980
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
33018 in. (7.676.10.2 cm)
Credit Line
Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program
Mediums
Mediums Description
bent and incised steel
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract — geometric
Object Number
1981.188

Artwork Description

Tilted Arc was designed for the plaza of the Jacob Javits Federal Building, which was built in New York City in 1968. Richard Serra's sculpture met with hostility from some of the plaza office workers, who felt that the piece disrupted the flow of foot traffic. Within a few years, the General Services Administration held a trial to assess how the work affected the use of the plaza. Surprisingly, of the 180 people who testified, 122 supported the sculpture while 58 favored relocation. Those opposed compared it to the Berlin Wall and the iron curtain and suggested relocating the piece to a site near the Hudson River. Although opinion was evenly divided, the GSA decided that Tilted Arc should be dismantled. In 1986, Serra sued the government for breach of contract and his right to freedom of expression and due process, arguing that Tilted Arc was designed specifically for that site and would lose all meaning anywhere else. District Attorney Rudolph Giuliani responded that neither the First nor the Fifth Amendment was applicable, since Serra had voluntarily sold his "speech" to the GSA. The Court of Appeals agreed, ruling that the government had the right to modify, censor, or destroy Tilted Arc. The sculpture was dismantled on March 15, 1989. William Diamond, regional administrator of the GSA, proclaimed: "This is a day for the people to rejoice, because now the plaza returns rightfully to the people."

Works by this artist (21 items)

Tidal Wave
Date1972
color lithograph on paper
Not on view
June Wayne, Tower of Babel A, from the series Fable Series, 1955, lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Stone Circle Foundation, 1969.107
Tower of Babel A, from the series Fable Series
Date1955
lithograph on paper
Not on view
Escape II
Date1986
color lithograph on paper
Not on view
No Sun
Date1985
color lithograph on paper
Not on view

Audio

Stop 183: Maquette for Tilted Arc

Maquette for Tilted Arc
1980, bent and incised steel

RICHARD SERRA
Born: San Francisco, California 1939

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