1960s Zoltán Pap Marked Brutalist Bronze and Copper Astrolabe, Sculptural Wall Art With Modernist Zodiac Relief.

Description

Presented for purchase is a truly rare and magical, dimensional brutalist bronze and brass zodiac themed wall art by renowned … more Presented for purchase is a truly rare and magical, dimensional brutalist bronze and brass zodiac themed wall art by renowned Hungarian goldsmith Zoltán Pap.

This mid century, marked astrolabe is both sculpture and wall plate as its modernist, blue diamond shaped enamel embellished sun centerpiece hovers elegantly above a celestial horoscope inspired, segmented golden plaque.

This heavy and robust vintage metalworking masterpiece is indeed a fantastic addition to any brutalist collection, sure to become the eye catching focal point of any style home.

Underlying plate 31 x 1.65 cm.
Sun centerpiece 11 x 2 cm.
Stem 3 cm.
Overall dimensions 31 x 8 cm.

Zoltán Pap was of the most mysterious and original artists from this period. We know very little about his life. He was born in Bánhida , Hungary in 1941 and graduated from the Hungarian College of Applied Arts in 1964. In the sixties and seventies, he continuously participated in exhibitions and among his larger-scale works, the best known were the wall sculptures for the Duna InterContinental and the decorative chain of arcades in József Attila Street.
His art is characterized by the emphasis on the contrasts of the surfaces in addition to the stylized representation of shapes. Glossy and matte, concave and convex, richly decorated and smooth surfaces alternate, spheres and shapes that stand out in the space are combined with flat surfaces. His wall sculptures typically focus exclusively on the depicted figures, without a background or frame. His sculptural candlesticks and small sculptures are immediately recognizable by their distinctive boot design. He liked to decorate his creations with enamel, and also tried his hand at jewelry making.

Then, sometime in the 80’s he seemingly disappeared. There were whispers of defection to America…
To this day his works represent the marriage of metal art and modernism created by the mysterious goldsmith, and grow increasingly popular in the world of the collector. less