PP154 Harry Bertoia Sculpture: Monumental, Sounding & Bronzes

Registration Closed

Webinar Description

Thursday, June 23, 2022
1:00pm - 2:00pm Eastern US

Harry Bertoia’s abstract metal sculptures range from three-inch metal “cookies” to forty-foot bronze panels in commercial venues. His oeuvre is remarkably broad, but samples of the most common forms of his art will be examined. His philosophy and sources of inspiration, intertwined with his work, will be explained, giving insight into the themes behind the metal. Unauthorized copies of the sounding sculptures are prevalent so we’ll show you how to distinguish the authentic tonals from the copies. Ideally, after this presentation you’ll have a good idea of what is Bertoia and what is not. The caveat is that Celia, his daughter, still occasionally sees pieces that are confirmed but new-to-her Bertoias! This is the last of three related Bertoia webinars.

Webinar Audience

Anyone involved with post-war and modern art, sculpture specialists.

General Webinar Information

Important login information will be e-mailed to registrants prior to the webinar. This webinar will be recorded.

System Requirements

To ensure the best ASA webinar experience, be sure to download the Zoom app on your device before the webinar begins.

Continuing Education (CE) Information

This webinar will award 1.0 CE hours.

If you are a designated member of the American Society of Appraisers, CE credit will automatically be entered into your record ONLY if you participate in the live webinar. Please allow approximately 2 weeks post-webinar for ASA to notify participants via email regarding a certificate of completion.

Topics Covered

Brief Background of Harry Bertoia

Italy
Detroit
Cranbrook Academy of Art

Monumental Commissioned Artwork

General Motors Technical Center, Warren, Michigan
Dulles International Airport, Washington D.C.
St John’s Church, Cincinatti, Ohio
Seattle 1st National Bank (recently divided into individual parts), Seattle, Washington
Philadelphia Civic Center (now at Woodmere Museum), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
50+ commissioned architectural sculptures

Bushes and Dandelions

Sunbursts developed into dandelions
Florence Knoll-Bassett dandelion
Bushes inspired by nature
Spill casts
Smaller pieces, melt press, wire, bronze forms

Sounding sculptures

Originated from a wire experiment
Tonals
Gongs and singing bars
Sonambient Barn Collection

Knock-offs vs. Authentic

Tonals
Sprays

Q&A

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this webinar, attendees will be able to:

Inform others about the history and work of Bertoia
Demonstrate techniques and materials unique to Bertoia
Identify Bertoia sculpture compared to unauthorized copies
Define Sonambient and sounding sculpture terms

Celia Bertoia

Celia Bertoia, youngest daughter of Harry Bertoia, grew up in Pennsylvania, spent decades in Boulder, Colorado in the real estate market, then owned a race timing company in Bozeman, Montana. Celia is currently the founder and director of the Harry Bertoia Foundation, a 501 (c)(3), anchored in St George, Utah. She authored the Life and Work of Harry Bertoia: the Man, the Artist, the Visionary (Schiffer, 2015). She is also an accredited appraiser with ASA, specializing in post war art. Her passion is to further the legacy of Harry Bertoia.