Although John Chamberlain is best known for his large-scale metal sculptures constructed from discarded automobile parts and other industrial detritus, he also employed less cumbersome materials. Penthouse #69 is part of a series of works in which Chamberlain coaxes complex geometric shapes out of crushed paper bags coated with resin and watercolor paint. They are at once recognizable, but at the same time abstract. Similar to the way that his larger sculptures evoke car crashes and junkyards, compositions such as this one call on the viewer to source his or her own memories of this humble vessel. Like an enigmatic origami construction, Penthouse #69’s creases and folds, nooks and crannies convey an unexpected levity. It was Chamberlain’s desire that these more intimate works be dancer-like, light on their feet, and “touch the ground with as little resistance as possible.”

Label from For the Love of Things: Still Life, February 27–May 29, 2016