Günter Haese, Ad Astra (To the Stars) (detail), 1970, brass. © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.
Sculpture: From the Bechtler Collection
This modest exhibition presents twenty works created over four decades by seventeen artists from six different nations. Yet all of them, regardless of their style, form, material or subject proved to be of significant interest to the Bechtler family. In this, we should sense the remarkable elasticity of aesthetic inquiry, intellectual ambition and cultural confidence that underscore the accomplishment of the family’s holdings.
Represented here are works by artists at their zenith and at the beginning of their career. Their approaches employ all manner of material including ancient traditions like bronze, marble and iron; simple forms like painted wood, porcelain and brass; and more idiosyncratic approaches such as enamel on steel, zinc on wood and iron wedded with unique compositional matter.
The artists represented here were born as early as 1898 and others are still among us. Their origins are British, Swiss, German, Hungarian, Italian and American. All of them were of interest to the Bechtlers.
Of equal importance is the variety of formal exploration: Some are figural while others are entirely abstract. Some advance their aesthetic through the reflective properties of plastics and the use of chrome. Light, sound and distraction are equal conspirators. In the end, all of these attributes proved attractive enough to the Bechtler family that they found a way to live with all of the works you see presented in this exhibition.
We invite you to imagine living with works such as these - with their traditional, surprising, reflective and unexpected qualities defining the world in which you live. And one where you would find enjoyment, solace and inspiration.