Standing Rotating Circle with Ball
Artist
Charles Mattox
(American, 1910 - 1996)
Date1963
Mediumwood, fiberglass, motor, wiring (mixed media)
Dimensions85 1/2 × 47 × 14 3/4 in. (217.2 × 119.4 × 37.5 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineGift of the Estate of Charles Mattox, the Peter and Madeleine Martin Foundation, and Thomas Powell, 2023
Object number2023.6.1a-c
DescriptionRed circular form (a) containing a white ball (b) atop a brown or taupe base (c) with a semicircular top, in which the red circle sits and rotates. Operating mechanism housed inside the base.eMuseum Notes
In the 1950s, Charles Mattox developed his first kinetic sculptures with an eye towards the absurd and whimsical. Mattox rejected the expectation that a machine be utilitarian, especially in Standing Rotating Circle with Ball. When activated, the circle rotates, and a ball rolls along the interior circumference. Objects hidden in the circle clatter and clunk as the circle revolves. The sculpture is purely playful and promises little other than aesthetic enjoyment.
On View
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