Name/Title
Atmosphere and Environment XIIEntry/Object ID
L.2019.1.2Description
Atmosphere and Environment XII is a product of the mature style of Louise Nevelson, one of the most influential artists of the decades following World War II. In the late 1950s, Nevelson conceived of wooden collage “environments,” wall-like sculptures painted entirely in one color and incorporating a myriad of abstract forms. Her interest in theater influenced both her concept of sculpture as environment and her use of vertical structures resembling stage sets.
Made of 18,000 pounds of COR-TEN steel, which gradually weathers to form its own patina, Atmosphere and Environment XII consists of six columns of open rectangular cubes bolted together. Within the cubes are additional geometric shapes, and the entire openwork composition seems to echo the landscape of a modern city.
After exhibitions in France and New York, the sculpture was purchased by the Fairmount Park Art Association (now the Association for Public Art) in 1971 and installed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s West Entrance in 1973.
The artwork underwent comprehensive conservation treatment in 2007 by the Conservation Department of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in cooperation with the Association for Public Art, with support from the federal Save America’s Treasures program, the Getty Foundation, and the Locks Foundation.
In July 2019, Atmosphere and Environment XII was relocated to the University of Pennsylvania—on long-term loan from the Association for Public Art—to accommodate extensive renovations at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.Type of Sculpture
Free StandingDimensions
Dimension Description
SizeHeight
219 inWidth
120 inDepth
60 in