American, 1906-1965
Voltri VI, 1962 Steel, 98 7/8 x 102 1/4 x 24 in. (251.1 x 259.7 x 61 cm.)
Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, Dallas, Texas
1978.A.04
Label Text
Voltri VI derives from a particularly fertile moment in Smith's career, when he was invited in 1962 to Italy to make one or two sculptures for the Spoleto Festival. Taking as his studio a disused steel factory in Voltri, he produced in one month not two but twenty seven sculptures. As a distinct subgroup, he made three large-scale "wagons." In this particular example, he utilized a cart for moving hot steel that he found in the factory. He welded a steel wedge to one end, propping up the long handle of the cart to form a narrow horizontal spine. To this base he welded two large, vertical plates separated by a gap. Their irregular curving profiles contrast with the mechanical geometry of the undercarriage, creating an effect of both monumentality and delicate balance.