Yehiel Shemi

Measurements length: 12 1/2 ft. alternate measurements 381 cm. steel Commissioned by Mr. Philip Berman and constructed by the artistin November 1976 in Allentown, Pennsylvania at McDermott'sfabricators. CATALOGUE NOTE This work will not be exhibited at Sotheby's. For furtherinformation, including shipping, please contact the department.

signed in Hebrew and dated '81' (on the upper part of the sculpture) iron sculpture 6½ x 46 x 25¼ in. (16.5 x 117 x 64 cm.) Executed in 1981 Provenance Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner. Literature A. Baruch, Yehiel Shemi Sculpture , Tel Aviv, 1988 (illustrated npn.) A. Goldberg, Yehiel Shemi , Tefen, 1995 (illustrated p. 58). Exhibited Tel Aviv, Gordon Gallery, Yehiel Shemi 1977 - 1984 .

q - YEHIEL SHEMI (1922-2003) - NEST - PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION IN ISRAEL
Mis: height: 27 1/2 in. 70 cm.
welded with signature in Hebrew and dated 63 (on the reverse) welded iron Executed in 1963.

PROVENANCE
Purchased directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
Born in Haifa in 1922, Shemi was a founding father of modern Israeli sculpture. In 1945 he travelled through Europe, Egypt and America. After his return from a two year stay in Paris in the early sixties he started producing works in welded iron. Irith Hadar writes about the body of work that includes Nest `...the lacerated iron sculptures that he made upon his return to Israel were the first instance in which he produced works whose strong presence endowed them with an independent, nonrepresentational existence...In the sculptures composed of pieces of scrap iron from the sea, however, he refrained from making a pre-determined compositional plan - thus assimilating into his work both random occurrence and an awareness of the meanings embedded in the lacerated iron...he created complete, hermetic sculptural units that stand independently in space without being supported by a base.' (in M. Omer, ed., Highlights from the Tel Aviv Museum of Art., Tel Aviv, 2005, p.262)

Yehiel Shemi (Israeli, B. 1922) Untitled; and a companion print sculpture signed and dated 'SHEMI 75' (on the base); the engraving signed, dated, numbered and inscribed in pencil 'Y.Shemi '75 6/10 For Arnold on his 60th./Birthday with Friendship/Shemi' (lower center) painted iron sculpture; and a companion engraving on wove paper 15½ x 12½ x 4 in. (39.3 x 31.8 x 10.2 cm.) Executed in 1975. (2)

Yehiel Shemi (1922 - 2003) Untitled wood and iron sculpture height: 21¼ in. (54 cm.); width: 26 5/8 in. (67.5 cm.); depth: 7½ in. (19 cm.) Executed in the 1970s Special Notice "†" : VAT rate of 16.5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium. If exported, in certain circumstances, a non-Israeli purchaser may be entitled to an exemption or refund of all or part of VAT. Provenance Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner.