Eduardo CHILLIDA (1924-2002) - Lot 162

Eduardo CHILLIDA (1924-2002) "De Música, proyecto para Dallas VIII". "De Música, proyecto para Dallas IX", 1989 Steel Two unique works, which, once completed, were placed on two steel plates to form an inseparable sculptural composition. The artist's monogram is incised on the base. Height VIII : 14 cm Height IX: 13 cm Size of base: 21.5 x 13 cm A certificate of authenticity from Zabalaga-Leku will be issued to the purchaser. Provenance : - Private collection (gift of the artist) - Christie's London sale, February 8, 2006, reproduced under number 13 Reference: These works are listed in the archives of the Museo Chillida-Leku, under numbers 1989.005 and 1989.006. Bibliography: Ignacio Chillida, Alberto Cobo. Eduardo Chillida. III, (1983-1990): Catalogo razonado de escultura. Donostia-San Sebastian. Nerea, 2019. p.279 Calvo Serraller Francisco. Chillida. Musical gravitations. Dallas: Adams-Middleton Gallery, Tasende Gallery, 19890. p.6 Tasende, JM., and Stanley Marcus. De Mùsica. A corten steel sculpture by Eduardo Chillida. La Jolla: Tasende Gallery, 1990. p.21 cat 9. Exhibitions : 1989 : Dallas, Adams Middelton Gallery, Chillida Musical Gravkaciones, September November, no. 3 and no. 4, repr. p. 5 & p. 6. 1989-1990: New York, Sidney Janis Gallery, Chillida in New York, November - January, no. 12 1990: La Jolla, Tasende Gallery, Eduardo Chillida, De Música, no. 8 & no. 9, repr. p. 19 & 21. De Música, Proyecto para Dallas VIII & IX: A singular work in its own right, the foundation of a monumental oeuvre De Música Dallas XV, the imposing sculpture installed in 1989 in front of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, is the culmination of a long process of research by Eduardo Chillida. Prior to this monumental work, the artist explored several variations as part of his work on De Música, numbering each project in a thoughtful progression. From these studies, he selected and brought together De Música, Proyecto para Dallas VIII and De Música, Proyecto para Dallas IX on a single base, resulting in a single, indissociable work, prefiguring the monumentality of De Música Dallas XV. Now merged into a single sculptural composition, these two elements represent a key stage in Chillida's work: they condense, on a reduced scale, the formal and conceptual principles that he would fully develop in De Música Dallas XV on a monumental scale. An essential exploration of the relationship between forms In Proyecto para Dallas VIII & IX, Chillida explores how distinct volumes interact to form a coherent sculptural unit. This play of tensions between solids and voids, fundamental to his work, finds its culmination in De Música Dallas XV. The transition from two autonomous sculptures to a single work reflects the evolutionary logic of Chillida's work, where experimentation and assemblage lead to a complete sculptural synthesis. This principle is continued in De Música Dallas XV, where the forms merge into a monumental, harmonious structure, perfectly integrated into the architecture of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, designed by Ieoh Ming Pei. The collaboration between Chillida and the architect was essential: the artist adjusted his work so that it dialogued harmoniously with its environment. An evolution of material and scale While De Música Dallas XV is made of Corten steel, whose patina evolves over time, Proyecto para Dallas VIII & IX are crafted in steel with a subtle patina, highlighting the play of light on the volumes. While the monumental proportions of Dallas XV reinforce its interaction with the urban space, the intimate version we present reveals Chillida's thinking on the scale of gesture and material. A philosophical and musical foundation The title De Música refers to a text by Saint Augustine, in which music is based on rigorous mathematical proportions, enabling perfect balance to be achieved. This same principle of rigor and harmony guides the construction of these sculptures, where the precise arrangement of volumes generates a sensation of balance and dynamic tension. Fundamental to this thinking is the importance of the number three, St. Augustine's symbol of harmony. Chillida applies this concept to sculpture, structuring his works around three points, three axes or three volumes, to create a perfectly balanced composition. A key moment in Chillida's creative career and a unique work of art Although Proyecto para Dallas VIII & IX now form a single work, they remain the intimate and essential expression of the path that would lead Chillida to De Música Dall