An Irrational Element

 Exploring | Constantin Brâncuși

‘Exploring’ is An Irrational Element’s newest segment focusing on people & works that are of influence to An Irrational Element. These influences are not necessarily bound by having a physical impact on the collections but are more to be viewed as themes shaping and broadening our horizon.

The series starts with the exploration of Constantin Brâncuși, a worker, sculptor, photographer, dog-lover and so much more. My first encounters with Brâncuși were all fragmented and did not paint a cohesive picture. I would roam the internet finding his polished bronze sculptures, read the maker’s name and forget the name ten minutes later all the while the sculptures would never ever disappear from my mind again. Around that same period (age 16 | 20 ) I also had multiple maps on my computer with style inspirations ranging from antique to contemporary imagery. In it I collected multiple images of this sturdy and bearded man dressed in wide trousers, work shirts and mostly wearing a hat. Upon finding his portraits I would read he was a sculptor of some sorts and go about my collecting.

Later, through further research I quickly found out that the bronze sculptures were the work of this stylish man, it felt like two worlds becoming one to me, a small personal discovery. It made sense as well, his look matched his work.

The past few years I have been visiting the Kröller-Müller Museum and the first time there I found an egg shape piece at the end of a hallway filled with some of my favorites (Rietveld, Signac & others). The egg, named ‘The Beginning of the World’, was presented in a beautiful rectangle-shaped wooden display case, my first thought being that the egg and display case shape so well together in form, color, lighting & material. Because Brâncuși’s egg speaks to me that heavy visually (and because of that also mentally) I feel the urge to always photograph it while visiting the Kröller-Müller Museum. I could even say the sculpture in that specific setting is able to offer me a sense of tranquility.

Today, while preparing a post of Brâncuși’s ‘The Beginning of the World’ for An Irrational Element’s social media outlets I intuitively started to research the work and Constantin Brâncuși again, this time finding even more. Only hours ago I found out that Isamu Noguchi was actually his studio assistent in Paris after Noguchi acquired a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1927 to study sculpture in Paris for two years. To me this was two worlds coming together all over again as I hold Noguchi’s work and philosophy in high regard and I primarily got to know about his work through the Metabolism movement together with Kenzo Tange and not through his earlier route.

What further speaks to me about Constantin Brâncuși was his love for craftsmanship, materials, photography and his dog. Although he had a great eye for sculptural work, the way he combined materials such as bronze, lime-stone and wood was uncanny, his eye through the lens was evenly magnificent. Photography was used by Brâncuși as a means to catalogue, conceptualize and promote his work. His vision of the sculptures got expanded by the way they were captured using composition and light techniques.

Concludingly, I re-discovered images of him with a white dog and read that this was his collie named ‘Polaire’ with whom he shared years working and living. Brâncuși took many self-portraits together with Polaire in and out-side his studio in Paris during their time together. It’s an image that warms the heart and speaks to many, taking the effort to catch moments shared with your furry compagnon.