David Smith American, 1906-1965
Tanktotem I
1952
David Smith's 'Tanktotem I' (1952) is one of the first of his 'Tanktotems' — welded-steel figures assembled from pre-fabricated industrial parts, especially the pressed-steel ends of water boilers, transformed into stacked, totem-like sculptures. Painted and balanced with athletic grace, the series is central to his postwar development. Art Institute of Chicago.
Exhibition Venue
Image source: Art Institute of Chicago