Corner Block
Artist
Richard Serra
(American, 1939 - 2024)
Date1983
MediumHot-rolled steel
DimensionsPart (plate): 60 × 60 × 1/2 inches (152.4 × 152.4 × 1.27 cm)
Part (block): 11 × 11 × 36 inches (27.94 × 27.94 × 91.44 cm)
Part (block): 11 × 11 × 36 inches (27.94 × 27.94 × 91.44 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: acquired through the generosity of the William T. Kemper Foundation–Commerce Bank, Trustee
Object number2003.25
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionThis sculpture is composed of two parts. One part is a square plate of steel and the second is a block of steel. When the sculpture is installed, the plate stands upright on its edge. It is held in place by the block which is centered horiztonally at the top corner of the square plate. The block extends touching two walls that meet at right angles, thus holding the vertical plate in place.Gallery LabelRichard Serra's work is associated with the geometric purity of form and use of industrial materials found in 1960s Minimalism. He is known for his Prop series, which includes Corner Block.
As with other sculptures in the Prop series, gravity and the weight of steel are the primary components of Corner Block. Serra achieves stability by using gravity to distribute and balance the weight of the rectangular block of steel among the two points at which the block touches perpendicular walls and a corner edge of the vertical steel plate. Sculptures in Serra's Prop series may be perceived as objects in a state of arrested motion. Their apparent potential for movement endows the sculpture with immediacy and tension.
As with other sculptures in the Prop series, gravity and the weight of steel are the primary components of Corner Block. Serra achieves stability by using gravity to distribute and balance the weight of the rectangular block of steel among the two points at which the block touches perpendicular walls and a corner edge of the vertical steel plate. Sculptures in Serra's Prop series may be perceived as objects in a state of arrested motion. Their apparent potential for movement endows the sculpture with immediacy and tension.
Copyright© Richard Serra / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information,
is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete.
Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a
particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum.
If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image,
please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.
