Collection 1950s–1970s

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Charlotte Posenenske. Series B Relief (Red Prototype). 1967 406

Painted aluminum, Each relief: 39 3/8 × 19 11/16 × 5 1/2" (100 × 50 × 14 cm), overall installation variable. Gift of Lonti Ebers and the Scott Burton Fund. Courtesy of the estate of Charlotte Posenenske

Curator, Christophe Cherix:  German artist Charlotte Posenenske was part of a number of influential shows in Europe in the 1960s. The piece you have here is from her last show in 1968. After that exhibition, Posenenske felt that art was not able to convey the larger idea she had of art. So she left the artwork and never returned.

Posenenske’s work is made of prefabricated elements. Her first husband was in fact an architect, and she was very much influenced by how architecture was able to find a new efficiency through the use of prefabrication in the 60s.

And she felt that art could use this idea as well. And the interesting thing is that she would design the elements, but let the viewer, or the gallerist, do the sculpture. So you would basically order different models and combine them as you wish and the final form of the work was up to you.