This marble column, an archetypal Neo-Plastic work from 1964 by Russian emmigré Ilya Bolotowsky, is essentially the fine art sibling to your Saarinen Tulip Table. Both objects strip away extraneous detail and focus on discrete perfection of form. In modern design the stated goal was to reduce each piece of furniture to its basic function, relieved from clutter and details. In art (a world with shakier ties to practicality) this goal was the expression of so-called universal truths. Piet Mondrian, the father of Neo-Plasticism, and greatest influence on Bolotowsky’s work, took a hard-line approach with primary colors and angular geometry — no curves need apply. Bolotowsky veers away from Mondrian’s vaguely S&M theories of perfection, embracing circles, ovals, and pastel colors. While his paintings and screen prints are better known, his sculpture also dabbles in this appealing negotiated space. Where Mondrian’s sculptures were literal piles of cubic structures, Bolotwosky flirted with luxury and new technology, often utilizing marble or plexiglass as the foundation for his portable obelisks. This particular piece, “Column #22,” retains an inventory label from the Grace Borgenicht gallery. Like the fabled Betty Parsons, our girl Grace was part of a cadre of powerful female gallerists showcasing contemporary American abstract artists. Little-collected and selling for astonishingly low prices, the artists represented at Grace Borgenicht are now bold-face art historical names like Ralston Crawford and Milton Avery. Her collection at any given time was a veritable mood board for the aesthetics of the day. That is to say, any of them would look great in your living room. Scroll through and let us know which one is your favorite!
