Year: 1982-1983
Medium: hot-dipped galvanized steel
Dimensions: 78.7 x 76.8 x 26.7 cm (31 x 30 1/4 x 10 1/2 in.)
Edition: No. 10 of 26 plus 1 Prototype, 5 Artist's Copies, 3 Publisher's Copies, and 1 Dedication Copy
Acquired from SBI Art Auction, 2026
This work constitutes one of a series created by cutting steel plates and arranging them into three-dimensional forms. Although Noguchi is best known for his stone sculptures, he also created many works using metal. The galvanized steel series, including this piece, was created in collaboration with Gemini G.E.L., which has published prints and editions with numerous leading artists. Noguchi had explored various approaches to the creation of spatial volume from two-dimensional materials, and here uses parts cut from steel sheets to construct an origami-like three-dimensional structure. It is easy to imagine the figure of a Zen monk sitting in the zazen meditative position from the form of this sculpture. However, it appears most likely that Noguchi is attempting here to visualize not the form of this practice but rather its conceptual foundation. As he delved into his roots in Japanese culture, the artist emulated Matsuo Basho by identifying “lightness” as the central principle of his creative practice. Even while working with heavy materials such as stones and metal, he pursued forms of expression that were light, bright, and natural. One of the most important disciplines undertaken by Zen monks, zazen is described as simply the act of sitting. By letting go of all the attachments and distractions that have weighed down the body and mind, and by simply sitting and sinking into the point where one is, the spirit can be released to a state of lightness. This sculpture could be described as an embodiment of that “lightness.”
