Chinese Landscape

Louise Nevelson

1959

Wood, black pigment

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This is a monochromatic assemblage sculpture made of dark wood pieces. The arrangement creates a textured, three-dimensional surface with varied geometric and organic shapes. When you put together things that other people have thrown out, you’re really bringing them to life—a spiritual life that surpasses the life for which they were originally created. —Louise Nevelson Louise Nevelson’s wood assemblages transform discarded wooden materials into intricate and monumental sculptures. Associated with the New York school of abstract expressionists, Nevelson began exploring this type of construction in the 1940s, working intuitively and spontaneously in her studio. Her assemblage Chinese Landscape typifies her fully developed technique and practice. Nevelson’s mastery lay in her ability to meticulously arrang