Isamu Noguchi  (American, 1904-1988) 

whitespace
Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988) was an important sculptor and designer, who fused Eastern and Western influences in his works of stone and steel. The son of a Japanese poet and American writer, Noguchi was born in California but spent his childhood in Japan with his American mother, before returning to the United States to attend high school in Indiana. Discouraged by a fruitless apprenticeship with sculptor Gutzon Borglum (American/Danish, 1867–1941), Noguchi briefly attended Columbia Medical School, before committing himself fully to the pursuit of sculpture. In 1927 and 1928, Noguchi received Guggenheim Fellowships, which allowed him to travel to Paris, where he worked as studio assistant to Constantin Brancusi (Romanian, 1876–1957), learning about stone sculpture and meeting other important European artists. Profoundly influenced by Brancusi, Noguchi began to create sculpture in stone, wood, and sheet metal upon his return to New York. A year later he departed again to travel through China and Japan, where he studied traditional Asian art, which also deeply impacted his aesthetic. Following his next return to New York, Noguchi began to design public spaces and monuments, which remained his focus for the rest of his life. During World War II, Noguchi voluntarily entered at a Japanese-American Internment camp, with the hopes of designing public spaces and teaching art; disillusioned by the experience, he created a series of surrealist sculptures called Lunars, which incorporated properties of light. After the war, Noguchi divided his time between the United States and Japan, mostly working on large outdoor sculptures and designing sets for choreographers, including Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. Among his public sculptures is the famous Red Cube, a massive steel cube that balances on a single corner, and is now installed in a Manhattan plaza. Noguchi achieved great fame critical success during the last two decades of his life; among other accolades, the Whitney Museum and Walker Art Center held retrospectives of his work in 1968 and 1978, respectively, and Noguchi represented the United States in the Venice Biennale in 1986. The artist died in 1988 at the age of 84; part of his studio is open to the public at the Noguchi Garden Museum in Long Island City, New York.

Find Isamu Noguchi artworks for sale worldwide, artworks that sold at auction, a detailed biography, and more information on the artist below.
envelope Get email alerts about this artist!  
Artworks for sale (12)
In Art Galleries (12)
Dealers selling (16)
Dealers Buying (1)

Sold Artworks
In Recent Auctions (2)
In Past Auctions (704)

Calendar
Exhibitions (2)
Auctions (3)

artnet Magazine
Articles (20)

More Information
Monographs
artnet Analytics Reports
Market Reports
* paid service

Artworks for sale (12)

View All   

Isamu Noguchi, Sculpture

 

Isamu Noguchi
Sculpture
Jeffrey Spahn Gallery
Isamu Noguchi, Lampe en papier

 

Isamu Noguchi
Lampe en papier
Galerie Jean-Marc Lelouch
Isamu Noguchi, Nude Male Dancer

 

Isamu Noguchi
Nude Male Dancer
1930

Amy Wolf Fine Art
Isamu Noguchi, Shaft & Root

 

Isamu Noguchi
Shaft & Root
1982

Sebastian + Barquet
Isamu Noguchi, Important and rare prototype table for the ALCOA Forecast Program

 

Isamu Noguchi
Important and rare prototype table for the ALCOA Forecast Program
1957

Sebastian + Barquet
Isamu Noguchi, Mountains Forming

 

Isamu Noguchi
Mountains Forming
1982

GEMINI G.E.L. at JONI MOISANT WEYL
Isamu Noguchi, Secret © Gemini G.E.L. and the Artist

 

Isamu Noguchi
Secret © Gemini G.E.L. and the Artist
1982

Gemini G.E.L.
Isamu Noguchi, Little Slate

 

Isamu Noguchi
Little Slate
1945

The Pace Gallery
Isamu Noguchi, Mirror (Torso)

 

Isamu Noguchi
Mirror (Torso)
1944-1994

The Pace Gallery
Past auction results (704)  View All
Isamu Noguchi, The Elephant

 

Isamu Noguchi
The Elephant, 1952
ceramic

 

View Details
Isamu Noguchi, Variation on a Millstone #5

 

Isamu Noguchi
Variation on a Millstone #5, 1967
granite

 

View Details
Isamu Noguchi, Pylon

 

Isamu Noguchi
Pylon, 1959-1981
galvanized steel

 

View Details