John Chamberlain

(American, 1927–2011)

John Chamberlain was an influential American sculptor best known for his large-scale, crumpled scrap metal works. Chamberlain was born on April 16, 1927 in Rochester, IN and studied sculpture at the famed Black Mountain College. From the earliest years of his career, Chamberlain used readily available scrap metal for sculpture: his first major work was the archetypal Shortstop (1958), a pitch-black assemblage of car fenders, inspired in part from the readymades of Surrealism. Throughout the 1960s, Chamberlain continued to experiment with this method of fusion and collision, trying different materials such as plexiglass and even foam to create many pieces which remain untitled. One of his most-famous and ambitious works, American Tableau (1984), shelved different crushed cars of varying color side by side, creating a veritable towering pageantry of sculpture. Chamberlain’s works have been exhibited widely, and his collection of crushed cars is on permanent display at Dia:Beacon in upstate New York. He was awarded twice a Guggenheim Fellowship, and in 1993 was given a Lifetime Achievement Award in Contemporary Sculpture from the International Sculpture Center. He died on December 21, 2011 in New York, NY at the age of 84.

John Chamberlain Artworks

John Chamberlain (1,310 results)
Tasteylingus, 2010

John Chamberlain

Tasteylingus, 2010

Sotheby's New York

Est. 400,000–600,000 USD

Fasting Pansy: Baby Tycoon Series, 1991

John Chamberlain

Fasting Pansy: Baby Tycoon Series, 1991

Sotheby's New York

Est. 120,000–180,000 USD

Fipple Nexus, 1990

John Chamberlain

Fipple Nexus, 1990

Sotheby's New York

Est. 150,000–200,000 USD

Suede Dog Peas, 2000

John Chamberlain

Suede Dog Peas, 2000

Rosenbaum Contemporary

Price on Request

Cyclop Eyebrow, 2006

John Chamberlain

Cyclop Eyebrow, 2006

Bethesda Fine Art

Price on Request

Popsicletoes, 2008

John Chamberlain

Popsicletoes, 2008

Omer Tiroche Gallery

1,000,000–1,200,000 USD

Anteambulo Quincunx, 1992

John Chamberlain

Anteambulo Quincunx, 1992

Opera Gallery

Price on Request

Running Cathead, 1988

John Chamberlain

Running Cathead, 1988

Opera Gallery

Price on Request

Untitled, 1962

John Chamberlain

Untitled, 1962

Anthony Meier

Price on Request

Potatopoultry, 2008

John Chamberlain

Potatopoultry, 2008

Galerie von Vertes

Price on Request

Noogatory, 2003

John Chamberlain

Noogatory, 2003

Opera Gallery

Price on Request

Untitled, 2006

John Chamberlain

Untitled, 2006

Galería Daniel Cardani

Price on Request

Once Again Watson, 2001

John Chamberlain

Once Again Watson, 2001

Omer Tiroche Gallery

475,000–525,000 USD

Coldchester, 1979

John Chamberlain

Coldchester, 1979

Composition Gallery

Price on Request

Kent, 1979

John Chamberlain

Kent, 1979

Composition Gallery

Price on Request

Hingham, 1979

John Chamberlain

Hingham, 1979

Composition Gallery

Price on Request

Untitled

John Chamberlain

Untitled

Sims Reed Gallery

Price on Request

Untitled, 1983

John Chamberlain

Untitled, 1983

Keyes Art

50,000 USD