Mathías Goeritz (1915-1990)

Mary-Anne Martin/Fine Art, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owners (December 11, 2007)

There are very minor white marks possibly not inherent to the piece present on each face of the trunk of the sculpture. There are faint scratches on the upper right and upper left portions of the trunk which bears the smallest triangular extension. This triangle has scratches along the bottom and rubbing along the edges and corners. There is some dust present in the crevices of the various triangles throughout the work. There is minor rubbing along the edges and corners of the remaining triangular extensions. There is minor rubbing throughout the trunk. There is a very small, roughly eighth of an inch, loss to the back panel of the trunk with the larger triangular extension. Overall the work is in good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Since his arrival in Mexico, Mathías Goeritz collaborated with a handful of architects and engineers that requested his works for their projects. Among others, we shall mention Luis Barragán, Mario Pani, Ricardo de Robina, Ricardo Legorreta, Abraham Zabludovsky, Teodoro González de León and the engineer David Serur. 

Mario Pani invited Goeritz to collaborate with him in the magazine Arquitectura, an avant guard periodical publication in which Mathias was in charge of the visual arts section.  Shortly after, in 1960, Pani introduced Mathias to David Serur. Their friendship would last until Goeritz's death in 1990. 

David Serur asked Goeritz to work with him in the Magen David Synagogue between 1964 and 1965.  They built the porch of the Synagogue, which had two parallel towers supporting at the end the Star of David. The Star has different expressions in the temple; it presides the entrance and is also represented in the stained glass windows in various designs. 

In 1968, as Serur was an engineer specialized in structural calculus; Goeritz asked his collaboration in La Ruta de la Amistad project, and especially in his work La Osa Mayor (Ursa Major). Mathías executed later el Laberinto de Jerusalem (Jerusalem's Labyrinth) in which Serur also participated.

In 1976 Tane Orfebres commissioned Mathías Goeritz to produce Cubos Incrustados (Inlaid cubes), part of the series of silver object by artists (see lots 114 and 116). 

In 1982, David Serur commissioned Energía (Energy), painted concrete, measuring 17 meters high, for the Parque de la Tercera Edad (Third Age Park) in the Bosque de Chapultepec. He executed several versions of this piece in medium and large format. One of these, executed in bronze, is in the Mathías Goeritz Plaza in the Faculty of Architecture of the Universidad Autonoma Nacional de México (UNAM), in which Goeritz worked as a professor during thirty five years.  Another variant of this series is Cilindros Incrustados (Inlaid cylinders).  That same year, Serur requested again his friend's collaboration in a new synagogue, Bet-Moshe, where he executed several stained-glass windows and Mensajes. 

The last collaboration of the Goeritz-Serur team was Torre (Tower), a monumental sculpture executed in concrete, steel and aluminum, measuring 17.5 meters high, for the Fundación Cultural Miguel Alemán in Mexico City.

Formed in the European avant-garde, Mathías Goeritz offered in Mexico the richest production of his creation. Since his arrival in the country in 1949 he stood out for his overwhelming creativity.  Precursor of the urban sculpture, his monumental format inaugurated the spaces of the City of Mexico of modern times.

Dr. Lily Kassner
Spring 2011

Mathias Goeritz desde su llegada a México, colaboró con infinidad de arquitectos e ingenieros que solicitaban obras para sus proyectos. Entre ellos recordemos a Luis Barragán, Mario Pani, Ricardo de Robina, Ricardo Legorreta, Abraham Zabludovsky, Teodoro González de León y al ingeniero David Serur, entre otros.

Mario Pani, invitó a Goeritz a colaborar con él en la Revista Arquitectura, publicación periódica de vanguardia donde Mathias se encargaría de la sección de artes visuales. Poco tiempo después, en 1960 Serur conoció a Mathias por medio de Pani. Esta amistad duraría hasta la muerte de Goeritz en 1990.

Dicho ingeniero invitó a Mathias Goeritz a colaborar con él en la Sinagoga Maguen David entre 1964 y 1965. Realizaron el pórtico de la edificación que ostenta las torres paralelas que reúnen en lo alto la Estrella de David. Dicha estrella tiene en este templo diversas expresiones, no sólo preside la entrada, sino su representación se repite en vitrales con variados diseños.

En 1968, siendo David Serur ingeniero con especialidad en cálculo estructural, Goeritz le solicitó su colaboración en el proyecto de La Ruta de la Amistad, y especialmente en la obra La Osa Mayor de su autoría. Años después Mathias creó el Laberinto de Jerusalén donde también Serur formaría parte del equipo.

En 1976, Tane Orfebres, encarga a Mathias Goeritz Cubos incrustados, obra que conforma el proyecto de esculturas en plata que realizó esta famosa firma.

En 1982, David Serur le encomendó la pieza Energía, (concreto pintado y 17 metros de alto), para el Parque de la Tercera Edad, ubicado en el Bosque de Chapultepec. De esta pieza ejecutó varias versiones en mediano y gran formato. Una de estas, en bronce, se encuentra en la Plaza Mathias Goeritz de la Facultad de Arquitectura de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), donde su creador fue catedrático durante treinta y cinco años. Otra variante de esta serie es Cilindros incrustados. Ese mismo año, Serur vuelve a solicitar de su amigo su participación en una nueva Sinagoga, Bet-Moshé, donde realizaría vitrales y varios mensajes.

La última colaboración del equipo Goeritz-Serur fue la obra monumental Torre, 1987-1988, en concreto con solera de acero y recubierta de aluminio de 17.5 metros de altura, para la Fundación Cultural Miguel Alemán, en la ciudad de México.

Formado en la vanguardia europea, Mathias Goeritz ofreció en México la producción más abundante de su genio creador. Desde su llegada al país en 1949 se significó por una creatividad arrolladora. Precursor de la escultura urbana, su obra de formato monumental inauguró los espacios del México citadino de la modernidad.

Dr. Lily Kassner
Spring 2011