Name/Title
UntitledEntry/Object ID
2019.36Description
Two pieces of rounded wooden dowels with a small piece of white fabric between them, resting atop a block split diagonally in pink and white. All sitting on a white, hollow, plastic polygon.Artwork Details
Medium
wood; porcelain; plastic; cotton; glazeContext
Mie Kongo’s sculptures are sleek and minimal. Her use of porcelain, cotton and wood with tasteful pops of yellow and pale pink conjure up very expensive, well designed kitchenware. The individual elements of her sculptures feel familiar and they pique the same feelings of desire as flipping through a glossy catalogue of home furnishings, but her sculptures are not functional.
In this piece, one can find wood that resembles a slice of crown molding or perhaps a railing that has been sanded and smoothed. A rectangle of cool matte white porcelain hangs from it, a soft pink triangle of glaze covers one side. A white cotton flag hangs next to the porcelain, which is balanced on an ivory piece of 3D printed plastic. This sculpture uses a design principle known as a steelyard balance to create a sense of harmonious stability. Balance in design is similar to balance in physics. A steelyard balance is a type of scale that incorporates a counterweight. The counterweight slides along the arm of the scale and is used to counterbalance the load and indicate its weight. In this case the large porcelain rectangle is counterbalanced by the small piece of cotton fabric. Imagine a seesaw. The piece of wood is the lever of the seesaw and the ivory plastic ring is its fulcrum. The porcelain rectangle and the cotton fabric are in the wrong place, unexpectedly situated between the lever and the fulcrum. Yet we do not mind them there, the sculpture feels somehow upended and balanced. This is Kongo’s stated goal, to unify opposites, and to investigate tension and balance.Acquisition
Accession
2019.26-64, 72-78Source or Donor
Browne GoodwinAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
Gift of Browne and Diane GoodwinLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
SculptureNomenclature Class
ArtNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsGetty AAT
Concept
MinimalHierarchy Name
Styles and Periods (hierarchy name)Facet
Styles and Periods FacetDimensions
Height
8 inWidth
13-1/2 inDepth
2 inDimension Notes
20.32 cm. x 34.29 cm. x 5.08 cm.