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"Floating Angel" by Judith Brown, Junked Automobile Parts, Vermont 1990

Creator: Judith Brown
Offered by: Robert James Walsh & Company

Description
Judith Brown, dancer and multifaceted artist and sculptor, who had studios in New York City and Reading, Vermont, created this monumental sculpture from junked and crushed automobile parts. It is a Postmodern Expressionist figure from a series of angels she did in the 1980s, with evident Classical and Baroque influences.

"Floating Angel" was created in 1986 in Judith Brown's Vermont studio. It is shown here with Brown's original mounting system of a steel pole on a square steel base anchored by lawn spikes. The sculpture displays movement of the body and the reaction of fabric to motion, which is one of Brown's recurring themes. Her fascination with fabric and motion stems from her days as a professional dancer in New York City. It is easy to imagine this angel as a Martha Graham dancer in mid-air, or as a Renaissance angel springing from Brown's sketchbook made during her many trips to the Classical and Baroque centers of Europe. It is poignant that such a graceful, angelic figure arose from a pile of abandoned and crashed cars.

Provenance: From the collection of a single owner who purchased it from the artist's estate through the AVA Gallery of Lebanon, New Hampshire, where the Judith Brown Estate was showing it in 2005. The figure is not signed, which is typical of Judith Brown's work.

Note on dimensions: The sculpture is in two pieces - the figure and the pole on its base. These pieces are each integral to the work. The figure itself measures 41"D x 42'W x 60"H. The steel pole measures 49"H, and its square base measures 30"D x 30"W x 1.75"H. The overall dimensions are listed below. There are four original lawn spikes included in the purchase. The only part not original is the small bolt that holds s the figure and the pole together. The metal has been galvanized for longevity in the elements.

More Information

Documentation:	Ample Provenance
Notes:	From prior owner
Origin:	United States, Vermont
Period:	1980-1999
Materials:	Junked automobile parts, steel, iron
Condition:	Good. As outdoor sculpture, this angel has atmospheric deposits of white and rust, and weathering with age.
Creation Date:	1986
Styles / Movements:	Abstract Expressionism
Dealer Reference #:	C-BRM18-X-BL
Incollect Reference #:	479180

Dimensions

W.	42 in;	H.	110.75 in;	D.	41 in;
W.	106.68 cm;	H.	281.31 cm;	D.	104.14 cm;

Message from Seller:

Robert James Walsh & Company is a thirty-year-old Vermont business dealing in antiques, art, and modernism. Robert Walsh, owner, is also an Accredited Member of Appraisers Association of America, as well as a respected consultant. We have participated in many international trade shows in the US and Canada.