{"product_id":"vintage-modernist-openwork-thinking-man-carved-wood-sculpture","title":"ART-057 Vintage Modernist Openwork \"Thinking Man\" Carved Wood Sculpture, c.1960s–70s","description":"\u003cp\u003eA captivating \u003cstrong\u003evintage modernist carved wood sculpture\u003c\/strong\u003e depicting an abstracted seated figure in a contemplative pose — the archetypal \u003cem\u003e\"Thinking Man\"\u003c\/em\u003e rendered in the openwork carving tradition that flourished in folk and studio craft movements of the mid-20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eopenwork technique\u003c\/strong\u003e — in which material is carved away to create negative space that is as compositionally active as the remaining solid — gives this piece a light, rhythmic quality that reads differently from every angle. The abstracted human figure rendered through interlocking geometric and organic voids reflects the influence of modernist sculptors including Henry Moore, whose exploration of the hole as a compositional element transformed how artists and craftspeople approached the figure in the postwar decades. Works of this type were produced by skilled woodcarvers across Africa, Latin America, Scandinavia, and the United States throughout the 1950s–1970s, ranging from folk art expression to sophisticated studio craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnsigned, as is typical of folk and vernacular craft objects of this period. The form is strong, the carving confident, and the proportions well-resolved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMedium:\u003c\/strong\u003e Carved wood, openwork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSubject:\u003c\/strong\u003e Abstract seated figure \/ \"Thinking Man\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Approx. 16\" H × 15\" W × 8\" D\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMarkings:\u003c\/strong\u003e No apparent signature\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod:\u003c\/strong\u003e c.1960s–1970s\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Good; minor surface scratching and scuffing consistent with age; structurally sound\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSource:\u003c\/strong\u003e Joshua Kodner Galleries, Dania Beach, FL\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuction Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 6, 2024\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLot Number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 201\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Spatial Art-Works","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54082424930588,"sku":"ART-057","price":32.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0811\/3877\/8396\/files\/ART-057-Vintage-Modernist-Openwork-Thinking-Man-Carved-Wood-01_watermarked.jpg?v=1780687743","url":"https:\/\/spatial-art-works.com\/products\/vintage-modernist-openwork-thinking-man-carved-wood-sculpture","provider":"Spatial Art-Works","version":"1.0","type":"link"}