Swannanoa/Swannanoa II

Artist John Chamberlain (1927 - 2011)

Date1959/1974

MediumPainted and chromium-plated steel with wood and metal base

Dimensions46 1/2 in. × 64 in. × 28 1/2 in. (118.1 × 162.6 × 72.4 cm)

ClassificationsSculpture

Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2013.43

Accession number 2013.43

On View

On view

Provenance(Martha Jackson Gallery, New York, NY), by 1960; to (The Mayor Gallery, London, England), 1977; (Peder Bonnier, New York, NY); to The Lone Star Foundation, Inc., New York, NY, July 1979; to Dia Art Foundation, New York, NY, August 1980; to (Christie’s, New York, NY), sale 2791, lot 66, November 12, 2013; purchased by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2013
Label TextAssembled from crushed car parts, Swannanoa/Swannanoa II seems to open its wings in whirling movement. In its free-flowing style and large scale, the sculpture shows the influence of the expressive, abstract paintings John Chamberlain saw in New York, similar to the paintings in this gallery. His ongoing exploration of incorporating unusual “found” materials into his work extended beyond car parts: he also used steel, paper bags, and foam rubber in his sculpture.

Chamberlain loved expressive titles that sometimes referenced his life. This title refers to the Swannanoa River near Asheville, North Carolina, which flows near Black Mountain College. In 1955 and ‘56, Chamberlain attended Black Mountain, where he met a group of similarly inspired artists and poets.