1965 | Copper, glass

Sculptor, painter, printmaker, jewelry designer, teacher — Claire Falkenstein was one of America’s most experimental (and with more than 4,000 finished works, most productive) 20th-century artists. She gained fame and sometimes sparked controversy with large-scale, abstract pieces in metal and glass. Her fountains, doors, and kinetic sculptures adorn public spaces worldwide. For decades, Falkenstein explored the mysterious connections she could create between masses and the spaces they inhabit. This Brutalist piece from her famous “Fusions” series bedecks long struts, sharp angles, and curving claws of copper with amorphous globs of glass, in shades from full transparency to deep ruby.