Carl AndreFifteenth Cu Prime
2003
Polished copper
0.39 x 1.18 x 1.18 in ( 1 x 3 x 3 cm )ZoomInquiry - Fifteenth Cu Prime, 2003
Provenance
Galerie Tschudi, Switzerland
Private Collection, France
Literature
Verlag der Buchhandlung Walter Koenig, Cologne, 2005, described on p.112 (not reproduced)
Exhibited
Carl Andre, Galerie Tschudi, Glarus, September 13 - November 29, 2003
Artwork's description
Carl Andre is an iconic figure of the minimalist movement. His work is distinguished by the use of raw industrial materials and a sculptural approach that questions the relationship between the artistic object and the surrounding space. Andre rejects traditional notions of monumental sculpture and favors floor-based presentations, thereby encouraging a new way of perceiving and interacting with art.
"Fifteenth Cu Prime" (2003) is an installation consisting of 53 copper elements, each measuring 1 cm in height, 3 cm in width and depth, with a total length of 159 cm. This work perfectly illustrates Andre's approach, which emphasizes formal simplicity and the use of industrial materials. Placed directly on the floor, the copper plates invite reflection on sculpture as an integral part of space, blurring the boundaries between art and architecture.
In this piece, copper, an industrial and functional element, becomes a material for aesthetic contemplation, where repetition and modularity are central principles. The work encourages the viewer to perceive sculpture not as a distinct and monumental object, but as a subtle extension of the immediate environment.