Harry Bertoia. Who Was He?
“The urge for good design is the same as the urge to go on living”
-Harry Bertoia
Born March 10, 1915
In an Italian rural village, populated by approximately 500 people, where
Julius Caeser often traveled, and where church bells chime announcing every wedding and birth.
Harry Bertoia mentioned his love for Italy, the sun, gardens, grapevines, people laughing, drawing and creating. Many we may love
as well however, Harry’s intellect and artistic ability created works which live on through his students, sculpture, design and sound.
A stable in San Lorenzo, the Italian village of his childhood, still houses small wooden toys and wire formed baskets hang
Harry made as a child.
Bracelet made from one continuous strand of coiled copper with only a single welded point.
Harry later gifted to his daughter-in-law in 1977
A limited edition series was within possibility for Norway gallery
Kaare Berntsen, Bertoia passed before the series materialized
Exhibited
Baum School of Art 2001
Allentown, PA
Early on he showed a talent for precision with metal, drawing and model making. At the age of 15, he was faced with staying in Italy or venturing to America to seek formal art training. Without speaking English, Harry moved to Detroit in 1930 where his older brother was living and working in the Ford Factory. In 1935 Harry was accepted into Cass Technical High School and he began the 3 hour round trip bus ride to attend the preparatory school for arts and science. He graduated from Cass in 1936 with numerous awards and was widely known as the most gifted art student they had ever had. After graduation, a teacher named Miss Louise Greene drove Harry — along with his portfolio and a small box of jewelry — to interview with Eliel Saarinen, President of Cranbrook Academy of Art, who offered Harry a scholarship on the spot.
After excelling as a student, Eliel Saarinen asked Harry to reopen the metal shop. Harry accepted and worked as the metal smith instructor while continuing as a student.
Harry’s jewelry works have been in continuous exhibitions from MOMA’s 1946 Modern Handmade Jewelry to being in permanent collections of Dallas Museum of Art, Cranbrook Academy of Art and LACMA.
Metal Block Screen Sculpture circa 1950s, as viewed from the top
““I am rather silent, resolute and industrious. I respect and admire persons of probity and morality, moderation and temperance. I can use any tool or machinery with dexterity… I like to see good plays and enjoy taking an active part outdoors…. I am interested in some branches of science, namely biology, sociology, astronomy and geology.””
After marrying Brigitta, and working with the Eames couple in California, Harry moved his family to Pennsylvania in 1950. He began work with Hans and Florence Knoll. Florence, born in Saginaw, Michigan, was orphaned and practically adopted by the Saarinens when she attended Cranbrook. While there, she also met Harry.
In 1951 the Bertoias settled along Aquetong Road in New Hope, Pennsylvania where they became friends with master woodworker George Nakashima and his family. Harry and George shared many philosophies including much of American craftsmanship, as well as a general disdain for plastic and mass production. The two would exchange works, and Harry’s sculptures remain on the George Nakashima Woodworkers estate outside the Chair Shop and in the Conoid Studio. A carved walnut stool by George became Harry’s welding stool.
Today, George’s daughter Mira continues George Nakashima Woodworkers , while Harry’s daughter Celia helms the Harry Bertoia Foundation.
Celia’s book The Life and Work of Harry Bertoia is the main source for the background details presented here.
Standing Panel Multi-plane Sculptures
Beginning in 1952, Knoll showrooms throughout the US featured Bertoia’s standing panels with his Diamond and Bird Chair designs manufactured and sold through
Knoll Associates
Panel in the General Motos Technical Center
Warren, Michigan
Architect Eero Saarinen began the design for GM through Harley Earl in 1945 and commissioned Harry for a large panel, which was completed in 1953.
The opening ceremony of the 710 acre GM Technical Center in 1956 was deemed the “Versailles of Industry” by Life Magazine and live broadcasted by NBC
The screen was Harry’s first sculptural commission and measured
10’ x 36’ x 8”
In 2014, GM Techinal Center was designated a
National Historic Landmark
Large scale commissions continued from Manufactures Hanover Trust (later Chase Bank), on Fifth Avenue in New York City, for a large screen in the
Gordon Bunshaft designed building. Other commissions came in from MIT, Dallas Public Library, St John’s Unitarian Universalist Church,
Eastman Kodak, Federal Reserve Bank and Dulles International Airport.
Harry Bertoia Foundation provides an interactive timeline of his public works visit here.
Bush Form with only known red flower bud forging circa 1973
A conversation with Celia Bertoia:
”Harry once said something like I'm almost sad to see a flower at its peak, knowing that it will fade in a few days”
Harry Bertoia Bush Form exhibited with a sculpture by Carl Milles. Milles was a friend of the Bertoias and attended Harry and Brigitta’s wedding. Millesgårdens
Exhibited 2021
Cranbrook Museum of Art
With Eyes Opened: Cranbrook Academy of Art Since 1932
Bertoia’s welded works of nature came in bush forms, dandelions, weeping willows, hay bundles and wheat. The series of sculptures began in the 1960s and became a point of contention when galleries began vying to be the exclusive representative of his works. The forms continues to gain in popularity as collectors discover Harry and his complex welded metals sculpted into nature’s growings.
Sonambient
”the sound environment created by the tonal sculpture"
”the ambiance of the atmosphere which resulted from the sounding sculptures, once touched”
In partnership with John Brien and Celia Bertoia, Third Man Pressing, located in Detroit and founded by Jack White, released Harry Bertoia’s complete Sonambient LP collection in 2021
The set features Bertoia’s 11 original Sonambient Barn recordings remastered on 11 discs with an 80 page book detailing the history and an interview with the
Smithsonian and Harry Bertoia
The Sonambient Barn was completed in 1969 after remodeling the 200 year old barn on the Bertoia estate in Pennsylvania. Original oak beams remained as the ceiling and vertical windows were added to allow sunlight. In that space, Harry worked with the tonal sculptures knowing which metals created certain sound.
The sculptures varied in height from a few inches to twenty feet tall. They were the longest continual running of his works spanning from
1960 to 1978.
Bertoia was the first artist to join sound with sculpture in America. Influenced from sounds of his childhood, certain tones reminded him of the church bells chiming in San Lorenzo from his childhood. His welded sculptures demonstrated his understanding of vibrations through metal like nature’s wind through reeds.
Listen here
Harry Bertoia Self Rating
In other words:
Healthy, neat, accurate, honest, adaptable, etc., need to work on some courage; as for quickness of thought, well, when your mind is filled with so many ideas. . .
Harry Bertoia
Sculpting Mid-Century Modern Life
January 29, 2022 - April 24, 2022
Over 100 of Bertoia’s works in metal, monotypes,
furniture design, jewelry, and sculptures brought together in a retrospective of the artist by Nasher Sculpture Center
Chief Curator Jed Morse and independent curator Dr. Marin Sullivan
Harry’s daughter Celia opening evening of Harry Bertoia Sculpting Mid-Century Modern Life
Nasher Sculpture Center Dallas, Texas
January 2022
Image courtesy of Harry Bertoia Foundation
Unless otherwise noted, all photography created by, and copyright of, Pipe Full o’ Fun Kit #7
Sources
Celia Bertoia
The Life and Work of HARRY BERTOIA The Man . The Artist . The Visionary by Celia Bertoia
Harry Bertoia Foundation
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Instagram
Smithsonian
Third Man Pressing
YouTube
View our images of Harry Bertoia artworks below on Instagram or throughout TEI here
