Larry Kagan, wire shadow sculpture
Larry Kagan welds steel wire into a shape that looks like scrap on the wall. Light it from the right point and distance, and the wire throws a shadow that resolves into a picture: a couch, a stack of cushions, a pile of magazines on the cushion. The tangle is the sculpture. The shadow is the image.
I bought this piece from OK Harris around 2002 and I'm the sole owner. It's been in storage in Manhattan. Kagan's work hangs in museums and sells to collectors around the world; you can see more of his sculptures at Artsy, the Meisel Gallery, and in a 2019 exhibition at the Montclair Art Museum.
Every other Kagan sculpture stays raw metal, dark by design. I wanted mine to disappear into a white wall, so I asked Kagan for permission to powder-coat it white, and he gave it, treating the white finish as part of the work rather than an alteration to it. This is the only white Kagan sculpture that exists.
It runs 48 inches wide and 20 inches high, and it projects about 24 inches off the wall. It needs a 16-foot ceiling at minimum; 18 feet works better. It ships in a custom crate, and I install it with a wireless switch. A guest sees a tangle of wire on the wall, then you hand them the switch and the couch appears.
Specifications
- MediumWelded steel wire, powder-coated white
- Dimensions48w × 20h in, projects ≈24 in off the wall
- ProvenanceOK Harris Gallery, New York, c. 2002. One owner since.
- LocationCurrently in storage in Manhattan
- InstallRequires a 16 ft ceiling minimum, 18 ft preferred. Custom crate and wireless-switch lighting included.
$25,000
The price includes delivery, the crate, and installation guidance in Manhattan. Shipping and installation outside Manhattan cost extra.