kineticism and the 1960s kinetic art had achieved even ... · kinetic art had achieved even more...

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In1960RickeyreceivedaGuggenheimfellowshipandtookanothersabbaticalfromTulane.Withthisgrant,hewasabletosculptfull-timeinEastChatham,wherethefamilysettledpermanentlythenextyear.In1961hisGuggenheimfellowshipwasrenewed,andheresignedfromTulane.Theopportunitytocommitalargeportionofhistimetooneplaceandonestudiocoincidedwiththesimplificationofformsinhissculptures.IntheidylliclandscapeofEastChatham,movementsurroundedhimandnatureenvelopedhisworks,complementingandenhancingthem.Thisexpansivesettingalsoallowedhimspacetoworkonverylargeprojects.In1961hebeganteachingfoundationdesigncoursestoarchitecturestudentsatRensselaerPolytechnicInstitute(RPI)inTroy,NewYork.There,hemetandbegantoworkwithRolandHummel,anengineeringprofessorattheSchoolofArchitecture,inacollaborationthatcontinuedfortherestofRickey’slife.44

Itwasalsoin1961thatRickeydiscoveredthereverseknife-edgebearing,whichallowedhimtousebladesthatmovedindependentlyofoneanother. Sedge Themeswashisfirstseriesexploringtheformalpossibilitiesofthistechnology.Inanotherworkthatusesthisbearingdevice,Bubble Chamber I (fig.15),from1962,alternatingbladesarefixedtoawallaspendulums,weightedsothattheyrestatacuteangles.Theplayfullinespointinginalldifferentdirectionshintattheactivityofabubblechamber—adeviceusedinphysicstoheatliquidtothepointofboilingandvaporizing,creatingtrailsofmicroscopicbubblesthatareusedtomeasuretheenergyofchargedparticles.45In1962Rickeybeganworkingwithmonumentalblades,formshewouldcontinuetouseinTwo Lines Oblique (fig.16),atoweringoutdoorsculpturefrom1967.Here,twofifteen-footlinessituatedatopatallY-shapedbaseswingdelicatelybackandforthandsometimes,inaplayfulwind,circlecompletelyaround.AlthoughworkssuchasthisweremuchlargerthanRickey’searliersculptures,theyremainedasintricatelyconstructedashissmallerworks.

By1965thebladehadbecomehissignaturelanguage.InTwenty-four Lines (fig.17),from1968,numerousbladesconvergeintotheshapeofasinglelargeblade,emphasizinghissimplifiedselectionofforms.Thisstreamliningreducedthenumberofvariableswithinhisworks,andRickeyfocusedondevelopingasimplersetofformsinmorecomplexways.Healsobecameevenmoredirectlyconcernedwithmovementandhowitmightbevariouslydisplayed.In1966helefthisteachingpostatRPItoagaincommithiseffortstosculpturefull-time.

Figure16, Two Lines Oblique, 1967

Figure15, Bubble Chamber I, 1962 Figure17, Twenty-four Lines (detail), 1968

58

Figure18,Four Rectangles Oblique,1972

61

Thebladewasasimple,slender,poeticshapethatrecalledtheneedles,masts,andclockpendulumsfromRickey’spastandresembledthebladesofgrassandswayingtreebranchesthatsurroundedhiminEastChatham.Itallowedhimtoinvestigatewhichkindsoftechnologyachievedthesubtlestmovements,andhowweightsandformsmightcreateaspecifictypeofmotion.Inaninterview,herelatedhowthislean,straightforwardformlethimfocusonunderstandinghowconstructionandmovementworked:“Icouldtryandreducetheelementstotheirsimplestpossibleessence.Anditisthatwhichhasledmetousinglinearforms,totrytoeliminateeverythingthatisnotcontributingtothemovement.”46Aseachbladewasaddedtoasculpture,itsuggestedideasforothershapesandmovements.Shiftingandcrossingoneanother,thebladeswoveastoryofRickey’sprogressionthroughthediscoveryofmotion.

Thisfocusonbladesprovidedthesculptorwithanunderstandingofmotionthatgraduallyledhimtoinvolveotherforms.Hebeganworkingagainwithplanes,whichusedthesamependulumtechnologyasblades,andthenin1966hebegantostacktheplanes.47Oneexampleofthis,Four Rectangles Oblique (fig.18),from1972,examinesthemovementofrectangularplanes.Fourrectanglesformasquare,witheachsegmentpresentingdifferentmotionsthatcombineintoafluidwave.

Duringthe1960s,Rickey’stitleshadbeguntoexpressthegrowingausterityofhisuseofform,describingthegeometricshapesandmotionsofthesculpturesratherthanreferencingsubjectssuchasaspectsofnature,ashisearliertitleshad.Asthemotioninhisworksbecamemorerefinedandexact,thischangeinhowhetitledthemreflectedashiftinsubjectmatterfromnaturetomovement.Hiswasanaestheticofconsistentformsunifiedintoalanguageofmotion;but,crucially,eachwork’smovementremainedunpredictableundertheforcesofnature.

62

CultivAting the ArtistiC proCess

In1968RickeyreceivedastipendfromtheDeutscherAkademischerAustauschDienst(DAAD),theGermanAcademicExchangeService,andsetupastudioinBerlinthathewouldmaintainfromthenuntil1995.AfterhavingspentthefirsttwodecadesofhislifeinEurope,inasensehereturnedin1968.In1970hebegansplittinghistimebetweenEastChathamandWestBerlin.

InthewoodedDahlemdistrictofBerlin,hislivingandstudiospacesweremuchsmallerthaninEastChatham.There,andinthemanyothertransitoryworkingspacesheoccupiedthroughouthisitinerantlife,drawingsandmaquettesbecameparticularlyimportanttohisworkingprocessandtestingofideas.Rickeyuseddrawingstoworkoutmanyformalconcernsandthenprogressed“tosomerathercrudemodel...toseehowIcangetthetrafficorganized,becausetherearecertainthingsyoucannotdraw,eveninperspective”;mainly,drawingscannotreveal“whatwillhappenwhenthemovementhasstarted.”49LucindaBarnesdocumentstheimportanceofdrawingtoRickey’sconstructionprocess,notingthatsketcheswereaninitialmeansofrenderinghisideas,thattheyrevealindividualaspectsofhisthoughtprocess,andthattheyallowedaspontaneitythatwasnotpossibleinsculpturalmodels,whichremainedsubjecttotheforcesofgravity.50Thedrawingsarealludedtointhesculpturesthemselvesasthemovingpartscutthroughtheair,tracingthelinesofthepreparatorysketchesusedintheirconstruction.InRickey’swords,“Bladesindiversecon-figurationsfollowed,akindofkineticdrawinginspace,firstplanar,thendefiningvolume—spacecutupbylines,piercedbylines,limitedbylines.” 51

Duringthistime,havingalreadydecidedtofocusonafewforms,Rickeycontinuedtoexpandthepossibilitiesofmotioninhissculptures.Lookingbackin1980,hediscussedthisdevelopment:

ImakethingsnowthatIwouldneverhavethoughtofaspossible.IfIhavebeenworking onthedevelopmentofalanguage,whichinsomewaysIhave,atthesametimeI’ve becomemoreandmoreawareofwhatitispossibletosaywiththatlanguage.Forexample, foryearsIacceptedwhatIwouldcalllinearmovementormovementalongastraightline. ThenIcametorealizethatonecandesignanobjectinwhichthemovementisalonga curve.It’slikeaphraseofmusicthattakesanunexpectedturn.52

Upuntilthispoint,thepathstracedbyhissculptures’partshadbeenlinear,planer,orgyratory.Ashebeganusinghislinesandrectanglestooutlineaconicalpath,andthenfurtherdevelopedtheirmovementtoallowthemtocircleoutsideofthatpath—inwhathecalled“excentric”movement—thevisualoptionsofhissculptureincreaseddramatically.53

Figure19,Two Rectangles, Open Excentric,1977 Figure20,Two Open Rectangles Excentric,1977

63

65

Maquettesprovidedanimportanttoolfortestingthisexcentricmotion.In1977RickeycreatedTwo Rectangles, Open Excentric (fig.19),whichwouldserveasamodelforanotherworkfrom1977,Two Open Rectangles Excentric (fig.20),itselfastudy.Inbothmodels,twolongrectanglescirclearoundacentralarmature.Inthefirst,thetop-heavyrectanglescreateaseeminglydramaticbalance.However,theweightsarevisible,evidencingRickey’srigorousworkingprocessoftestingweightsandbearingsthroughdrawingsandmaquettes,aprocessthatensuredhissculptures’ultimatelygracefulmovement.

Intheseexplorationsofmotion,Rickeyregularlynegotiatedtheseemingdichotomybetweennatureandthemachine.Forexample,thelargestainlesssteelsculptureforwhichTwo Open Rectangles Excentricwasastudywasdesignedtositinthelandscapeorinasculpturecourtyardwiththeskyonthehorizon,sothatthemovementofthesculpturewithinnatureandthemovementofnatureasabackdropwouldconflateintoonelyricalscene.Whilethereflectionofsunlightandthesurroundingsonthemetalfurtherintegratessuchsculpturesintotheenvironment,thesharpflickerofsilverwitheachshiftcallsattentiontotheirmechanisticrootsinstainlesssteel.

Throughhisreverenceofnatureasthesourceofmovement,Rickeyarguedthefailingsofthemachineanditsusebysomeotherkineticartists.In1979hecompleted Two Conical Segments, Gyratory Gyratory II (fig.21),anoutdoorsculpturethatstandstallwithtwoarmsextendinghorizontallyfromthetopofapost.Itssteeljointsholdrotatingconicalsegments.Inanotheroutdoorwork,Two Open Triangles Up Gyratory (fig.22),from1982,twotrianglescreateaframewiththecenterleftempty.Thetrianglescirclearoundthesculpture’scentralpoint,thetopoftheposttowhichtheyareattached.Drivenbyaircurrents,bothsculpturespresentasimplicityofstructureinwhichamotorwouldinstantlybeextraneous.Rickeydescribedhowmovementactivatedbythehandistooclumsy,andbythemachine,toopredictable:“thehand,especiallytheuntrainedhand,istooheavy,”and“repetition[causedbyamachine]sooncanbecomeboredom.”54Themovementsofhishighlyplannedstructuresareultimatelydependentonrandomchance:asharpwindcantransformasubtlemotionreplicatingthewavingofbranchesorbladesofgrassintowildformscirclingunpredictablyintheair.Theseidiosyncraticactionsresisttheboring,repetitivemechanicalmotionexpectedfromRickey’sindustrialmaterials.

Thiscontradictionalsoextendsintohistreatmentofthosematerials.Thesharpnessofsteelcraftedintolongmetalformsintheseworksintroducesideasofmechanicalproduction,butthemachineisdisavowedbyevidenceoftheartist’shandandworkingprocess.NanRosenthaldescribeshowRickey“grindsthesurfaceinshort,randomstrokes,withamotorizedrotarycarborundumdisk,sothattheybecomeresponsivetolight.” 55Whenhestoppedusingcolor

64

Figure21, Two Conical Segments, Gyratory Gyratory II, 1979

Figure22, Two Open Triangles Up Gyratory, 1982 Figure23, Study for Faceted Column, 1991

66

68 69

topolychromehissteelsurfaces,hepolishedmostoftheworkstoashiny,fluidfinishthatevincedhistouch.Hefeltthatthistransformationofthesteel’sfinishbroughthisworkstolife,notingthat“when[stainlesssteel]comesfromthefactory...thesurfaceisjustadullgray,lifelesssurface...Iwanttobreakthroughthatuniformgrayandhaveitbecomemorelivelyinrelationtolight.” 56Study for Faceted Column(fig.23),from1991,exemplifiesthispolishandhowitcontributestotheharmonyoftheworkbypresentingacontinuoussurfacealongthesegmentedforms.Thisstudywasforamuchlargersculpturethatcombinedmanyofthesefacetedpiecesintoalargeverticalcolumnintheatriumofatallofficebuilding,theTrigonBuilding,inBerlin.Inthatsetting,thepolishedfinishreflectsthework’ssurroundings,justasitsverticalorientationemulatesthem.

SeveralmoreworksillustratehowRickey’sintricateworkingprocessbalancestheoppositionbetweenthenatural,delicate,lyricalmovementofhisformsandthemachineaestheticoftheirmaterialsandexactingconstruction.Inthelate1960sandearly1970s,hecreatedaseries

ofspirals,smalltabletopsculpturesmadeofstainlesssteelwirethatheoftengilded.InTwo Lines with Spirals (fig.24,seeimagesonpages14and15),datedabout1973,eachofthetwocomponentswascraftedfromasinglepieceofindustrialwiretwistedintoagracefulspiralthatweighsdownoneendoftheline.57InTwo Cubes (fig.25),from1988,thecubesrestupontwoarmsthatextendfromacentralbase,formingaY.Thesix-inchcubicformsappearheavybutrotatelightlyanddiscretely.Anothersculptureconstructedin1988, XIII (fig.26),consistsofanX-shapedbaseonwhichsitthreeIshapes,eachhelduponasupport.Inthisinstance,Rickey’scalculateduseofsteelformsproducedarefinedandsymbolicstructurethatacknowledgedafriend’sthirteenthanniversary.Thesharp-edgedformsofmechanisticwireandsteelthatcomposetheseworksinitiallyevokehard,rough,rigidpower,butineachcasethesculptortransformsthemintoexquisiteartisticstatements.Infact,partofhisoriginalityisrootedinthisabilitytoimbueheavyindustrialmaterialswithagracethatliesoutsidetheirtypicalmanufacturingcontext.

Figure25, Two Cubes, 1988 Figure26, XIII, 1988

experienCing riCkey’s sCulptures

Throughouthiscareer,GeorgeRickeyremaineddedicatedtoteachingandpromotingtheartsthroughhiswrittenartcriticism,hispublicsculptures,andhisconstantemphasisontheimpor-tanceofhistoryandteaching.In1980,inacontinuationofthiscommitment,heestablishedtheHandHollowFoundation,whereartistscouldspendtheirsummersworkingandparticipatinginlivelydiscussions.Inthe1990shemadeyetanotheraestheticshiftinhisownart,returningtothecreationofsmall,coloredobjects.InOne Rotor One Counterweight(fig.27),from1993,arotorhangsoveratriangularbase,andsmallpaintedrectangularplanescircletoproduceakaleidoscopeofbrightcolors.Earlyinhiscareer,dissatisfactionwiththeabilitytoshowmotionthroughpaintinghadledhimtoworkinsculpture.Now,lateinlife,herevisitedtheintegrationofcolorandmotionthroughthesesmall,coloredobjectsthathecalled“paintings.” 58

Rickey’slifelongpursuitofanaestheticlanguageofmotionhadbeenanexplorationthroughspaceandtime,leadinghimtodiscoverandrediscoverbothplacesanddesignchallenges,butitwasalways“simplythepursuitofwhatispossible.” 59Althoughhisjourneyhadtakenhimtomanyplaces,hisstudioremainedthespacewherehetranslatedhistravelsintodelicatekineticworks.In2001hereturnedtotheMidwest,wherehisjourneyhadbegun,movingtoSt.Paul,Minnesota,andmaintainingasmallstudiothere.RickeydiedinSt.PaulonJuly17,2002,attheageofninety-five.

Thelifeofhissculpturescontinues,however.Theirmotionoscillatesbetweenarrested,slow,andfast,withdifferentpartsmovingatvariedratesinanongoingseriesofunrepeatableinstances.Overtime,aviewermightstandinfrontofasculpture,walkaroundit,oroccupyaspacebeneathit,eachtimeexperiencingadifferentimpressionofmovement.Etoile VIII (fig.28),amaquettefrom1983foralargerversion,ismadeofmanyfluttering,circling,andindividuallyrotatingpartsthatofferanendlessarrayofpotentialmovements.Ina1984discussionofhowheapproachedmotioninthissculpture,Rickeyexplained:“Myintentionisthattheseperiods[ofoscillation]beslightlydifferentfromoneanother,andthattheybelongenoughsothattheobservercannoteasilyanticipatereversalofdirection.”60

70 71

Figure27, One Rotor One Counterweight, 1993

Figure28, Etoile VIII, 1983

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Thisemphasisontheunknownmakesdirectlyexperiencinghisworksessentialtoappreciatingthem.Theirmovementdenieseffectivereproductioninasingleimage:“Sinceaphotographrecordsonlyoneinstantandoneinstanceamongvariationsandneverthefactorofchance,itprovidesafalserecordofkineticsculpture,whichcanhaveno‘correct’postureatrest.”61Consequently,Rickey’ssculpturesareoftenrepresentedbyseveralpicturesthatcaptureparticularmomentsinasequenceresemblingashortfilm,displayinghisworkinstop-motion.Eventhesesequences,however,onlyhintatthecompletemovementthattheviewerobserveswhenstandinginfrontofthesamework,orwhenwalkingaroundittotakeinthemanyviewpointsitoffers.

OnlythroughdirectengagementwithRickey’ssculpturescantheviewerappreciatethemanylayersofformthattheycontain:theformofthesteelsculptureitself,thepathtracedbyitselements,thenegativespaceofthesurroundingairandenvironment,and,mostparticulartohiskineticworks,theendlesspotentialofamotionimpelledbytheunpredictablepowersofnature.Thesubtle,naturalmovement,reflectivesurfaces,andanthropomorphicproportionsallhelptocapturetheimaginationoftheviewer.Further,therelationshipofthedifferentpartstooneanotherandthepathsofmotiontheyoutlinecreateaConstructivist-inspired“virtualvolume.”62

Figure29, Unstable Quadrilateral, 1990 Figure30, Open Triangles One Up and One Down (slender), 1983

74

Forinstance,inUnstable Quadrilateral (fig.29),from1990,twobladesplacedatadiagonalfromthecentralbasecreatetheillusionofafilledplaneastheymovebackandforth.InOpen Triangles One Up and One Down (slender)(fig.30),from1983,athree-dimensionalformiscarvedinspacebythetrianglesastheycircleup,down,andaround.Thenegativespaceoftheenvironmentframesthesculpturesbutalsoprovidesthesourceoftheirmovement.Whenthissourcedisappears—if,forinstance,thewindstopsblowing—themotiontemporarilyhalts,butitspotentialisever-present.Theviewerislefttoimaginehowtheactivityandtheformsitcreatesmightcontinue.Rickeycommentedonthisessentialcomponentofhisworks:“Irealizedthattheformdidn’tneedtobeaclosedmassbutcouldbeaseriesofpointsorlinesaroundwhichthemindmakesanenvelope.”63

InConstructivistart,movementwasoftensymbolicofacallforideologicalorpoliticalchange.Rickey,however,usedmovementonamorepersonallevel,toinspirereflection.Thesubtlemovementthatheultimatelywantedtostirwasinhisviewers,coaxingthemtobeawareoftheirexistenceintimeandnature.Thefluid,poetic,lyricmotionofhissculpturesencouragesviewerstoappreciateart,nature,andformwithinthecourseoftheirdailylives,asthesurroundingworldmovesquickly,dramatically,andmechanically.AsValerieFletcherwrites:

Rickey’sworkscangentlyheightenviewers’awarenessoftimeactuallypassingand,ina marvelouslyindirectway,persuadethemtorecognizethebeautyofpureabstraction.His sculpturestemptpassersbytostopandlook....Bythetimewehavewatchedthemotions throughseveralchangingcycles,thesculpturehashaditsintendedeffect:wehaveslowed down,stopped,becomegraduallydetachedfromthedemandsofourbusylives.64

TravelingtoseeRickey’ssculpturescompletestheircourse,stirschangeintheviewer,andsuppliesoneofmanypossibleendingstotheremarkablejourneythatRickeymadeinhislifeandinhisart.Hewroteofhisuniquequesttouncovermotion,“Ididnotwantmerelytosetastaticartinmotion,nordidIwanttodescribethedynamicworldaroundmewithaseriesofmovingimages.Iwantedthewholerangeofmovementsthemselvesatmydisposal,nottodescribewhatIobservedintheworldaroundme,buttobethemselvesperforminginaworldoftheirown.”65Today,viewerswhoentertheworldthatGeorgeRickeycreatedcontinuetobeenthralledandinspiredbyit,ashisdynamicsculpturesendlesslyperformtheiridiosyncraticmovements.

Fig.1–GeorgeRickey,Ship I,1954,paintedmildsteelandbrass,18.75x20inches,privatecollectionZollikon,Switzerland,photobyGeoffreyClement

Fig.2–GeorgeRickey,Three Vertical Two Horizontal Lines (Pivoting),1966,stainlesssteel,56x36x6inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.3–GeorgeRickey,Two Vertical Two Horizontal Lines,1974,stainlesssteel,28.5x28.5inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.4–GeorgeRickey,Diptych: The Seasons,1956,paintedsteel,24x60x21inches,SniteMuseumofArt,giftofMr.ThomasT.Solley

Fig.5–GeorgeRickey,Abstraction in 4D,1959,stainlesssteelandpolychrome,11x43x15inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.6–GeorgeRickey,Fish,1951,steelandpolychromeglass, 22x32inches,collectionoftheIndianaUniversityArtMuseum

Fig.7–GeorgeRickey,Four Last Leaves,1952,steelandbronze,41x48inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.8–GeorgeRickey,Silver Plume I,1951,stainlesssteel,18incheshigh,collectionofDr.andMrs.ClintonHollister

Fig.9–GeorgeRickey,Silver Plume II (altered),1961,stainlesssteel,10feethigh,collectionofMr.andMrs.LarryGilbert,London

76 77

illustrAtions, inCluding the george riCkey sCulpture ArChive At notre dAme

Fig.10–GeorgeRickey,Planes and Circles,1957,steel,bronzewire,andpolychrome,8.5x6x6inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.11–GeorgeRickey,Triads,1958,stainlesssteelandbrass,53x41inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.12–GeorgeRickey,Column of Nine Rotors with Two Triangles,1973,stainlesssteel,27x5x5inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.13–GeorgeRickey,Acrobats,1960,steelandenamel,21.5x15x1.5inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.14–GeorgeRickey,Untitled (“Belloli” Space Churn),1964,bronze,12.5x12.5x10.5inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.15–GeorgeRickey,Bubble Chamber I,1962,stainlesssteel,41x49x9inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.16–GeorgeRickey,Two Lines Oblique,1967,stainlesssteel, 25feethigh,SniteMuseumofArt

78 79

Fig.17–GeorgeRickey,Twenty-four Lines,1968,stainlesssteel,8x6feet,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.18–GeorgeRickey,Four Rectangles Oblique,1972,stainlesssteel,44x43.5x11.25inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.19–GeorgeRickey,Two Rectangles, Open Excentric,1977,stainlesssteelandleadcounterweight,26x8inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.20–GeorgeRickey,Two Open Rectangles Excentric,1977,stainlesssteel, 36x9.5x1.5inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.21–GeorgeRickey,Two Conical Segments, Gyratory Gyratory II,1979,stainlesssteel,123x124inches,SniteMuseumofArt,acquiredwiththefundsprovidedbyMr.andMrs.AlNathe

Fig.22–GeorgeRickey,Two Open Triangles Up Gyratory,1982,stainlesssteel,9feet8inchesx4feet9inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

80 81

Fig.23–GeorgeRickey,Study for Faceted Column,1991,stainlesssteel,36x16x10inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.24–GeorgeRickey,Two Lines with Spirals,circa1973,stainlesssteelwire,gilded,13x2inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.25–GeorgeRickey,Two Cubes,1988,stainlesssteel,21x24inches,SniteMuseumofArt,bequestofGeorgeRickey

Fig.26–GeorgeRickey,XIII,1988,stainlesssteel, 17x36x30inches,SniteMuseumofArt,bequestofGeorgeRickey

Fig.27–GeorgeRickey,One Rotor One Counterweight,1993,stainlesssteelwithpolychrome(rotor),8.5x6x6inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.28–GeorgeRickey,Etoile VIII,1983,stainlesssteel,4x9x9inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

Fig.29–GeorgeRickey,Unstable Quadrilateral,1990,stainlesssteel,23x24inches,SniteMuseumofArt,giftoftheGeorgeRickeyWorkshop

Fig.30–GeorgeRickey,Open Triangles One Up and One Down (slender),1983,stainlesssteel,56x12x5inches,SniteMuseumofArt,promisedgiftoftheGeorgeRickeyFoundation

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1GeorgeRickey,“TheMorphologyofMovement:AStudyofKineticArt,”Art Journal22(Summer1963):220–31.

2NanRosenthal,George Rickey(NewYork:HarryN.Abrams,1977),25.

3Rickey,“TheMorphologyofMovement,”228.

4Ibid.,225.

5Rosenthal,George Rickey,20;LenaVigna,“IndianaBorn:TheEarlyLivesoftheArtists,”inHollidayT.Day,DoreAshton,andLenaVigna,Crossroads of American Sculpture: David Smith, George Rickey, John Chamberlain, Robert Indiana, William T. Wiley, Bruce Nauman (Indianapolis:IndianapolisMuseumofArt,2000),46.

6Rosenthal,George Rickey,20–21;Vigna,“IndianaBorn,”47.

7Rickey,“TheMorphologyofMovement,”228.

8Rosenthal,George Rickey,42.

9MaxwellDavidsonIII,George Rickey: The Early Works(Atglen,PA:SchifferBooks,2004),23.DavidsoncitestheShipseriesasthefirsttousethegimbalanddescribeshowagimbalconsistsofapivotthatallowsanobjecttorotateonasingleaxis.Whenanothergimbalisplacedwithinandperpendiculartothefirst,anorthogonalsupportallowstheinnerobjecttoremainuprightasitssupportpitchesandrolls.

10GeorgeRickey,“ObservationsandReflections,1964,”reprintedinGeorge Rickey: Kinetic Sculpture on Clydeside (Glasgow:ScottishArtsCouncilandGlasgowDistrictCourt,1982),quotedinVigna,“IndianaBorn,”46.

11TomiiReiko,“BetweenTwoContinents:GeorgeRickey,KineticArtandConstructivism,1949–1968”(Ph.D.diss.,UniversityofTexasatAustin,1988),2.Infootnote4oftheintroduction,Reikoremarksthatinthe1950sRickeytaughtRenaissanceart,modernart,andothercoursesatMuhlenbergCollege,IndianaUniversityatBloomington,andNewcombCollege.

12Rickey,quotedinJohnGruen,The Artist Observed: 28 Interviews with Contemporary Artists (Chicago:ACappellaBooks,1991),250.

13The Moving World of George Rickey,DVD,directedbyKevinMacDonald(London:FigmentFilms,1998).


15RickeytraveledtoMexicoin1939and1941.ValerieFletcher,“GeorgeRickey:PoetryinMotion,”inValerieFletcher,LucindaH.Gedeon,GeorgeRickey,andPhilipRickey,George Rickey: Kinetic Sculpture; A Retrospective(VeroBeach,FL:VeroBeachMuseumofArt,2007),15–16.

16Rosenthal,George Rickey,27.AlberscametotheBauhausschoolasastudentin1920.In1923hewasappointedaninstructor,apositionhehelduntil1933,whenhecametotheUnitedStatestoteachatBlackMountainCollege.

17Rickey,quotedinJeanneSiegal,Artwords: Discourse on the 60s and 70s (AnnArbor,MI:UMIResearchPress,1985),141.

18GeorgeRickey,“TheMobilityofAmericans,”translatedbyCatherineLeGuetas“LaCivilisationduMovement,”Les Temps Modernes,August–September1946,24–29.

19WhenMoholy-Nagyfoundedtheschool,itwascalledtheInstituteofDesign;itwasrenamedtheInstituteofDesigninChicagoin1944.BythetimeRickeyattended,theschoolhadtakenonanengineeringandarchitecturalfocus,butartwasstillimportanttothecurriculumduringthelate1940sand1950sunderMoholy-Nagy’ssuccessor,SergeChermayeff;seeHollidayT.Day,“CrossroadsofAmericanSculpture,”inDay,Ashton,andVigna,Crossroads of American Sculpture,74n17.Rickeybecamedisenchantedwiththeschool’sfailuretocontinuetheprinciplestaughtinitsstrongdesignfoundationcoursesintothemoreadvancedcourseworkandspecializeddesignvocations;seeGeorgeRickey,interviewbyJosephTrovatoattheartist’shome,EastChatham,NewYork,July17,1965,transcript,SmithsonianArchivesofAmericanArt.

20Davidson,The Early Works,3.ThesesubjecttitlesaretakenfromthechapterheadingsofMaxwellDavidson’smonograph,inwhichhegivesadetailedaccountofRickey’searlysculpture.

21RosenthalnotesthatthiswasRickey’slargestworktodate,wasbuilttowithstandvariedweatherconditions,andallowedformorefreedominitsmovement;Rosenthal,George Rickey,32.DayalsocommentsthatthiswasRickey’slargestsculptureandthatitbrokeawayfromhissmallworksthatsatonpedestals;Day,“CrossroadsofAmericanSculpture,”65.

22Rickey,quotedinGruen,The Artist Observed,246.

23SeeDay,“CrossroadsofAmericanSculpture,”71:“Newmetal-workingtechniques,suchaswelding,werealsonecessarytomakinglargerpiecesinsteel.AlthoughSilver Plume II(rotatedonatripodthatrotatedaroundabase)hadbeenmadewithoutweldingbecauseitpivotedonapoint,weldinghadtoreplacethesoldersRickeyhadbeenusingtoconstructhissmallworks.”

24Davidson,The Early Works,50.

25DaydescribesthatRickey,thenteachingatIU,urgedHenryHope,thearthistorianwholedtheartdepartment,toinviteSmithtoteachatIUforthe1954–55academicyear.RickeyhimselfleftIUinJanuary1955;Day,“CrossroadsofAmericanSculpture,”64.RosenthalalsonotesRickey’sfriendshipwithSmithinRosenthal,George Rickey,34.

26Rosenthalelaboratesthat“atthattimeRickeywasstilljoiningmetalpartswithsilverandleadsolderexclusively,andheaskedDavidSmithtoshowhimhowtoweldwithoxyacetylene....InfutureyearswhenRickeyneededtogoontoheliarc-andspot-welding,heboughttheequipmentandtaughtthetechniquestohimself.”Rosenthal,George Rickey,34.

endnotes

84 85

27Smith’sworkswerelargerthanmostsculptureofthetime.Hewasalsoliberalwithmaterials,spendinglargesumsofmoneyonthem.Rickeyfollowedthisadvicewhenhecouldaffordto.Day,“CrossroadsofAmericanSculpture,”65;Rosenthal,George Rickey,34.

28In1963RickeyvisitedNaumGaboandJosefAlbersinConnecticut.Fletcher,Gedeon,Rickey,andRickey,George Rickey: Kinetic Sculpture,110.

29NaumGaboandAntoinePevsner,“TheRealisticManifesto,”inArt in Theory 1900–2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas,ed.CharlesHarrisonandPaulWood(Malden,MA:BlackwellPublishing,2003),299.

30GaboandPevsner,“TheRealisticManifesto,”230,quotedinDay,“CrossroadsofAmericanSculpture,”75n20.

31GeorgeRickey,Constructivism: Origins and Evolutions (1967;repr.,NewYork:GeorgeBraziller,1995).

32DavidsondiscussesthestructureofthisworkinThe Early Works,81.


34Ibid.,38.

35Ibid.,42.

36Ibid.,51.

37Day,“CrossroadsofAmericanSculpture,”70.

38Rickeyelaboratesonthepresenceofmovementinartofthetimein“TheMorphologyofMovement,”220–31.

39Davidson,The Early Works,127;Rosenthal,GeorgeRickey,48–50.

40Davidson,The Early Works,20;Rosenthal,GeorgeRickey,43–46.


42ReikodocumentstheimportanceofRickey’sintercontinentaltraveltohiswork,andparticularlytohisdevelopmentasaConstructivistsculptor,in“BetweenTwoContinents.”

43Ibid.,17.

44Fletcher,Gedeon,Rickey,andRickey,George Rickey: Kinetic Sculpture,109.


46Rickey,quotedinSiegal,Artwords,142.

47RosenthaldescribeshowRickey’splanes“arecompoundpendulumsweightedunderneathwithleadorasteelbarattheshortend—thatis,theendnearesttothebearings—tocompensatefortherestoftheplane.”Rosenthal,George Rickey,68.

48Ibid.,46.

49Rickey,quotedinGruen,The Artist Observed,257,andSiegal,Artwords,145.

50Barnes,inherstudyofdrawingsforsculpture,separatesthemintofourcategories:theelementarysketch,thevariationormodificationofanestablishedform,theworkingortechnicaldrawing,andthedrawingofunrealizedsculpture.LucindaA.Barnes,George Rickey: Drawings for Sculpture (Williamstown,MA:WilliamsCollegeMuseumofArt,1977),8.

51GeorgeRickey,“Veksoelund,”inSkulptor Veksoelund (Veksoe,Denmark,1984).




55Rosenthal, George Rickey,74.



58The Moving World,directedbyKevinMacDonald.

59Gruen,The Artist Observed,257,“Reflectingonthephilosophyandaestheticsofhiswork,GeorgeRickeymaintainsthatitissimplythepursuitofwhatispossible.”

60Rickey,“Etoile,”atalkgiventotheConnecticutCommissionontheArts,December1984,quotedinDavidson,The Early Works,159.

61Rickey,“TheMorphologyofMovement,”227,citedinReiko,“BetweenTwoContinents,”5n11.


63Rickey,quotedinibid.,48–49.

64Fletcher,inFletcher,Gedeon,Rickey,andRickey,George Rickey: Kinetic Sculpture,26.


86 87

BiBliogrAphy

Foreaseofuse,thebibliographyisorganizedintoseveralcategories.Thefirstsection,writingsbyGeorgeRickey,isarrangedchronologicallytofollowthedevelopmentoftheartist’swritingcareer.Ineachoftheremainingsections,thesourcesarelistedinalphabeticalorderbyauthor’slastname.

puBliCAtions By george riCkey

“TheMobilityofAmericans.”TranslatedbyCatherineLeGuetas“LaCivilisationduMovement.”Les Temps Modernes,August–September1946,24–29.

“TheArtsProgramoftheAssociationofAmericanColleges.”College Art Journal7(Spring1948):190–94.

“TheIntramuralArtist.”College Art Journal9(Summer1950):389–94.

“TheTrainingoftheArtistinCollegesandArtSchools:ASymposium.”IntroductiontoCollege Art Journal13(Autumn1953):25–27.

“KineticSculpture.”InArt and Artist.149–79.BerkeleyandLosAngeles:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1956.

“CalderinLondon.”Arts Magazine36(September1962):22–28.

“TheMorphologyofMovement:AStudyofKineticArt.”Art Journal22(Summer1963):220–31.

“TheNewTendency(NouvelleTendence—RechercheContinuelle).”Art Journal23(Summer1964):272–79.

“ObservationsandReflections,1964.”ReprintedinGeorge Rickey: Kinetic Sculpture on Clydeside.Glasgow:ScottishArtsCouncilandGlasgowDistrictCourt,1982.

“KinesisContinued.”Art in America3(December1965–January1966):45–55.Constructivism: Origins and Evolutions.1967.Reprint,NewYork:GeorgeBraziller,1995.

“TheBehaviorContract:AToolforTeachers.”Education94(September–October1973):82–84.

George Rickey: Kinetische Objekte und Technik.Bielefeld,Germany:KunsthalleBielefeld,1976.

“NaumGabo:1890–1977.”Artforum16(November1977):22–27.

“IchbineinBerliner.”The ARTgallery21(June–July1978):70–72.

Rickey,George,andDonaldJudd.“TwoContemporaryArtistsComment.”Art Journal41(Autumn1981):248–50.

“Veksoelund.”InSkulptor Veksolund.Veksoe,Denmark:1984.

“ATechnologyofKineticArt.”Scientific American268(February1993):74–79.

Books, monogrAphs, And solo exhiBit ion CAtAlogs

ArtCenterofSouthBend.George Rickey in South Bend: September 8–October 20, 1985.SouthBend,IN:TheCenter,1985.

Barnes,LucindaA.George Rickey: Drawings for Sculpture.Williamstown,MA:WilliamsCollegeMuseumofArt,1977.

Davidson,Maxwell,III.George Rickey: The Early Works.Atglen,PA:SchifferBooks,2004.

Fletcher,Valerie,LucindaH.Gedeon,GeorgeRickey,andPhilipRickey.George Rickey: Kinetic Sculpture; A Retrospective.VeroBeach,FL:VeroBeachMuseumofArt,2007.

Merkert,Jörn,andUrsulaPrinz,eds.George Rickey in Berlin, 1967–1992.Berlin:ArsNicolaiGmbH,1992.

Reiko,Tomii.“BetweenTwoContinents:GeorgeRickey,KineticArtandConstructivism,1949–1968.”Ph.D.diss.,UniversityofTexasatAustin,1988.

Rosenthal,Nan.George Rickey.NewYork:HarryN.Abrams,1977.

UCLAArtCouncil.George Rickey: Retrospective Exhibition, 1951–71.LosAngeles:UCLAArtCouncil,1971.

88 89

ArtiCles

Goodman,Jonathan.“ThePublicArtofGeorgeRickey.”Arts Magazine62(May1988):96–99.

Gruen,John.“TheSculptureofGeorgeRickey:SilentMovement,PerforminginaWorldofItsOwn.”ArtNews79(April1980):94–98.

Hanzal,Carla:“WithinthePoetryofMotion:GeorgeRickey.”Sculpture18(October1999):44–47.Rosenthal,Nan.“GoingwiththeWind:Rickey’s‘Lines’and‘Planes.’”Art in America63(November–December1975):89–91,93.

Secunda,Arthur.“TwoMotionSculptors:TinguelyandRickey.”Artforum1(June1962):16–18.

interviews And f ilms

The Moving World of George Rickey.DVD.DirectedbyKevinMacDonald.London:FigmentFilms,1998.

Rickey,George.InterviewbyJosephTravatoattheartist’shome,EastChatham,NewYork,July17,1965.Transcript.SmithsonianArchivesofAmericanArt.

generAl sourCes on sCulpture

Burnham,Jack.Beyond Modern Sculpture: The Effects of Science and Technology on the Sculpture of This Century.NewYork:GeorgeBraziller,1968.

Burnham,Jack.“SystemEsthetics.”Artforum7(September1968):30–35.

Cohen,MarkDaniel.“Constructivism:ThePenetrationofNature’sStructures.”Sculpture19(January–February2000):32–37.

Day,HollidayT.,DoreAshton,andLenaVigna.Crossroads of American Sculpture: David Smith, George Rickey, John Chamberlain, Robert Indiana, William T. Wiley, Bruce Nauman.Indianapolis:IndianapolisMuseumofArt,2000.

Gabo,Naum,andAntoinePevsner.“TheRealisticManifesto.”InArt in Theory 1900–2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas.EditedbyCharlesHarrisonandPaulWood.Malden,MA:BlackwellPublishing,2003.

Gruen,John.The Artist Observed: 28 Interviews with Contemporary Artists.Chicago:ACappellaBooks,1991.

Kagan,Dick.“SculptureAgainsttheSky.”Art & Antiques28(March2005):92–95.Krauss,Rosalind.Passages in Modern Sculpture.NewYork:VikingPress,1977.

NassauCountyMuseumofFineArt.Sculpture: The Tradition in Steel, 9 October 1983–22 January 1984, Nassau County Museum of Fine Art.RoslynHarbor,NY:TheMuseum,1983.

Rotzler,Willy.Constructive Concepts: A History of Constructive Art from Cubism to the Present.NewYork:Rizzoli,1989.

Selz,PeterHoward.Directions in Kinetic Sculpture.Berkeley:UniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,UniversityArtGallery,1966.

Siegal,Jeanne.Artwords: Discourse on the 60s and 70s.AnnArbor,MI:UMIResearchPress,1985.

Story,Ala.Constructivist Tendencies; From the Collections of Mr. and Mrs. George Rickey.SantaBarbara:UniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbara,ArtGallery,1970.

riCkey’s influenCes

Calder,Alexander.Calder: An Autobiography with Pictures.NewYork:PantheonBooks,1966.

Giménez,Carmen,andAlexanderS.C.Rower,eds.Calder: Gravity and Grace.NewYork:PhaidonPress,2004.

Hammer,Martin.Constructing Modernity: The Art and Career of Naum Gabo.NewHaven,CT:YaleUniversityPress,2000.

Krauss,Rosalind.Terminal Iron Works: The Sculpture of David Smith.Cambridge,MA:MITPress,1971.

Marter,Joan.“TheLegacyofAlexanderCalder.”Sculpture17(July–August1998):30–35.

Moulin,Hélène,andFrançoisFossier.André Lhote, 1885–1962: Exposition, Musée de Valence, Valence, du 15 juin au 28 septembre 2003.Paris:Réuniondesmuséesnationaux,2003.

Nash,StevenA.David Smith: Drawing and Sculpting.Dallas,TX:NasherSculptureCenter,2005.

90 91

photo Credits

Colophon

GeoffreyClements,CourtesyoftheGeorgeRickeyWorkshop,—page32

ChuckLoving—pages18–19,20–21,22,and23

SteveMoriarty—pages6–7,and64

EricNisly—coverimageandpages4–5,8–9,10–11,12–13,14–15,16–17,33,34,

38,39,42,47,49,51,52,55,57,58,59,63,67,68,69,71,72,and73

MichaelSwoboda—titlepageimageandpages25,26,and66

OtherimagescourtesyoftheGeorgeRickeyWorkshop—pages44and45

PrintedbyRinkPrinting,SouthBend,Indiana,July2009

BoundatA&HBindery,Broadview,Illinois

Cover:130lbUtopiaPremiumSilkCover

Body:115lbUtopiaPremiumSilkText

Flysheet:70lbRoyalMetallicsSteelText,Excalibur

Typefaces:ScalaandGotham

DesignandproductionbyMichaelSwoboda,MA’08

PublishedbytheSniteMuseumofArt,UniversityofNotreDame

Copyright2009

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