Close Pin Prop

In the late 1960s, Richard Serra pioneered “antiform,” an approach to sculpture that challenged the reductive formalism of Minimalism by focusing on the process or act of creation. Capturing the raw, muscular energy of working with lead and steel, the artist utilized these materials to explore fundamental properties of sculptural tension. In 1968 Serra created his first “props,” consisting of plates and tubes in precarious configurations. Although these works are entirely stable, as all are carefully balanced, they employ gravity as their fundamental support and thus have an unnerving quality. The result is an aggressive sculptural experience evoking potential danger. The title refers to the artist Chuck Close, who visited Serra’s studio when this prop was being made.