Scanned by Kaitlin Vaughan from a slide; color-corrected by Pat Cagney.

Fancy

Artist John Chamberlain (American, 1927 - 2011)

Dateca. 1963

MediumPainted metal

Dimensions52 1/2 x 45 x 31 in. (133.4 x 114.3 x 78.7 cm)

ClassificationsModern art

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number71.2004

Terms

Automobile
Pink
Red
Black
Abstract
Abstract Expressionist

Collections

Modern and Contemporary

On View

Not on view

DescriptionThis is a painted sheet metal sculpture. The metal is crushed in a circular fashion; the sculpture seems to bend inward and the different colors of metal twist into each other. Red is on top, with dark brown on the top left. The bottom left is tan, while the bottom right is dark brown with beige in the middle.

Label TextJohn Chamberlain American, 1927–2011 Fancy, ca. 1963 Painted metal I wasn’t interested in the car parts per se. I was interested in either the color or the shape or the amount. I didn’t want engine parts, I didn’t want wheels, upholstery, glass, oil, tires, rubber, lining…none of that. Just the sheet metal…. I believe that common materials are the best materials. –John Chamberlain John Chamberlain formed this sculpture from crushed car doors and fenders. The work resembles the sweeping gestural marks of Abstract Expressionism, yet it also recalls the drapery folds found in classical sculpture. Chamberlain insisted that he used cheap industrial waste for its formal qualities, but the automobile had potent meanings in mid-century America as a symbol of wealth, freedom, youth, and sex. Here, the wreckage evokes the destructive aspects of consumer culture, while the work also suggest the artist’s ability to find elegance in its debris. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.2004