Disengagement with preconceived enduring forms and orders for things is a positive assertion,” wrote Robert Morris in his groundbreaking 1968 essay, “Anti Form.” For Morris, sculpture is not about the final artwork but about the production of that work—the process by which the artist uses materials to shape space. While most sculptors make deliberate choices in the creation of a work of art, Morris emphasizes an element of chance. He wrote, “Chance is accepted and indeterminacy is implied.” This piece, a heap of grey felt tacked to a wall, exemplifies Morris’ redefinition of sculpture. Appropriately, each time the work is installed, it appears different than the last time it was installed.
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Robert Morris (American, born 1931)
Untitled (version 1 in 19 parts), 1968/2002
Felt, 8 ft. 5 in. x 85 x 44 in. (261.6 x 215.9 x 111.7 cm)
The Janet and Simeon Braguin Fund
©2004 Robert Morris/Artists Rights Society (ARS),
New York