Harry Bertoia

Progressive Architecture, November 1961, p. 232 (for a double tree sculpture by Bertoia included in the Denver Hilton commission)

This is a superb monumental work by Bertoia. Please note the measurements of this piece as its height is almost 12 feet. A superb construction comprising thousands of small wire elements, each terminating in small dot of metal. With some minor bending to the wire elements throughout commensurate with age and use. There are no readily visible losses to the sculpture and the wire branches are evenly spaced as the original design intended. When the piece was removed from Denver, some the base elements remained in situ. The present marble base and standard are later. The standard with a slight bend along one axis as a result of the weight of the sculpture. Please contact the department for additional images of the work installed. A truly breathtaking sculpture.
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This lot is being sold with a certificate of authenticity from the Bertoia Studio.

Bertoia captured the ethereal and ephemeral bloom of a dandelion at its fullest, and elevated it from a soft, fluffy weed to a metal beauty. Like much of the sculptor's most recognized work, it is a form found in nature. However, the Dandelion differs from Bertoia's bush, tree, and willow sculptures for its dynamic illusion. Though it is not a kinetic or sound sculpture, it produces the sensation of movement and vibrancy. The ironic and whimsical scale of the Dandelion magnifies a radiating energy which almost pulsates. That, along with Bertoia's technical finesse, contributes to the significance of the form.

The Dandelion's shimmer and glow is a reflection of Bertoia's unmatched craftsmanship and precision. To create the form, a specific number of wires are welded to the end of a specific length rod.  At the end of each rod is a nut. Just inside the central steel orb, under the surface, is a corresponding bolt to secure the rod.

Bertoia's patterning of the rods to form the Dandelion was a physical manifestation of his ability to intellectually and creatively express three-dimensional, spherical space. The Dandelion, as with most of Bertoia's sculptures, goes beyond merely decorative. His work defines or contributes to the function and experience of a space or environment.

The Denver Hilton, designed by architect I.M. Pei, opened in April 1960 and received accolades for its modern features. Among the refinements were Alexander Girard's interiors, which included the lobby and guest rooms. Girard's multi-faceted square ceiling panels in different shades of gold created a majestic effect and an allusion to Colorado's Gold Rush past.  Bertoia was commissioned to executed two monumental works in the Columbine Bar and Lounge, including the present almost twelve foot high nickel Dandelion, which was planted at the center of a large counter. The sculpture, mounted on a thin steel stem and pedestal, appeared to burst into space above the oval shaped bar. The oval area below the Dandelion was enclosed for bar and staff services. The outer side of the oval was set with barstools. Round Herman Miller tables were placed with chairs covered in purple and banquettes in green.

Bertoia's Dandelion for the hotel became the earliest large-scale example of the form and influenced construction of other Dandelion sculptures. Following the Hilton commission, Bertoia created a Dandelion, eleven feet in diameter and eighteen feet high incorporating a fountain for the Perpetual Savings and Loan Association in Beverly Hills, California. Completed in 1963 for architect Edward Durell Stone, it remains the largest Dandelion and is now in the Omaha Public Library, Nebraska. The following year, for the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair, Bertoia made seven Dandelions, all finished with gold in various sizes but smaller than the Hilton piece. As a result of these highly visible sculptures, Bertoia received several requests for smaller, less expensive pieces. Some of these Dandelions were offered internationally through Knoll Furniture Showrooms and the Staempfli Gallery in New York.

Bertoia continued to produce Dandelion sculptures through the 1970s. Over the years he maintained the complexity of the form but made smaller and fewer pieces. None approached the size and complexity of the Denver Hilton Dandelion.
--Jeffrey Head