In the discourse of mid-twentieth-century abstraction, the traditional boundaries separating sculpture, painting, and architectural space underwent a radical transformation. Among the foundational pioneers of this shift, the Israeli master Yaacov Agam stands as a paramount figure, fundamentally re-engineering the viewer’s engagement with the plastic arts. Kings Gallery is privileged to present “Amoud”.
Table of Contents
Medium: Serigraph print on Perspex (acrylic glass) with custom exhibition base
Dimensions: 60.5 cm. x 11.5 cm. x 11.5 cm.
Chronology
Born Yaacov Gipstein in Rishon LeZion in 1928, Agam’s early intellectual development was deeply informed by Jewish spiritual mysticism and non-representational theology, which eschewed the static image in favor of the infinite and the ungraspable. He commenced his formal artistic education at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem before migrating to Europe, where he immersed himself in the concrete design and color theories of Johannes Itten in Zurich.
Settling in Paris in 1951, Agam aligned himself with the post-war European avant-garde. His historic 1953 solo exhibition at the Galerie Craven in Paris is widely codified by art historians as the seminal catalyst for the Kinetic and Optical Art movements (Op Art). Over a prolific career spanning several decades, his massive structural installations, polymorphic fountains, and monument-scale commissions have been integrated into the permanent collections of elite international institutions, including the Musée National d’Art Moderne (Centre Pompidou) in Paris and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Theoretical Framework
Agam’s philosophical rebellion against classical sculpture centers on a critique of the static medium as an inadequate representation of existence. In traditional sculpture, the artwork remains locked in a singular, immutable state; it is a permanent slice of a frozen moment. Agam sought to introduce the fourth dimension—time—directly into the physical fabric of the object.
To achieve this, he pioneered the “polymorphic” artwork, wherein a piece possesses no single definitive profile, orientation, or compositional hierarchy. The art is constructed to exist in a state of perpetual potentiality. It requires the physical locomotion of the viewer to activate its visual mechanics. As the spectator alters their spatial trajectory relative to the object, individual formal elements systematically eclipse, merge, and synthesize with one another. The artwork is therefore not an object, but an ongoing event—a fluid, subjective phenomenon that unfolds linearly across time.
“Amoud” (Pillar)
The sculpture is composed of a rigid, vertical monolithic column of high-grade, optical-quality perspex. Encapsulated within this transparent matrix is a meticulously calculated linear sequence of geometric circular discs, silkscreened in a chromatic progression that modulates from brilliant cadmium yellows and warm oranges to deep magenta and vermilion tones.
The Perspex does not merely house the geometric imagery; it acts as a dynamic three-dimensional lens. When the viewer circumnavigates the artwork, the light passing through the prismatic column is refracted at shifting angular intervals. This optical distortion causes the internal discs to visually detach from their physical plane, appearing to compress, expand, and drift laterally within the core of the monolith. The resulting composition achieves an intricate counterpoint of absolute structural geometry and illusory, weightless kinesis.
Acquisition
“Amoud” by Yaacov Agam is currently available for private acquisition through Kings Gallery. Please contact us for the details.
Kings Gallery is a leading fine art gallery established in Jerusalem in 1995. We strive to collect and sell the highest quality historic and contemporary Israeli and International art. The gallery specializes in artists from the early period of the 1920’s. In addition, Kings Gallery features leading up-and-coming young artists who will definitely be prominent names in the next few years.
To inquire about this original piece by Yossi Stern, request a detailed condition report, please contact us.