David Smith

By Joan Pachner

One of the best-known American sculptors of the modern period, David Smith (1906 - 1965) was a true innovator. He revolutionized the possibilities of metal sculpture by introducing the industrial process of welding and economical materials such as steel into the studio. As a result, Smith was able to manipulate metal into the most extraordinarily balanced compositions - using metal to 'draw in space'.

Smith was a pioneer in abstract sculpture - previously a figurative medium - and achieved a new scope by creating layered planes and burnishing or painting surfaces. A reclusive figure, Smith spent increasing time at his studio and foundry at rural Bolton Landing, the surrounding fields of which became filled with his monumental sculptures. Predominantly known as a sculptor, the book also sheds light on his prolific practice of drawing, sketching, writing and photographing his sculptures.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0714861561
• ISBN13: 9780714861562
• Release Date: March 2013
• Publisher: Phaidon Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 1.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.1" x 9.8"