Measurements:
13 x 13-3/4 x 2-1/4 inches (33.0 x 34.9 x 5.7 cm) (work)
1 x 17-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches (2.5 x 44.5 x 26.7 cm) (plinth)
This work is named after a legendary, historic Japanese Buddhist
William Crovello Biography (written by Marshall Price, Nasher Museum Curator and former curator of the National Academy Museum):
Best known for his large public sculpture. New York City native William Crovello initially studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design from 1947 to 1951. He entered the air force in 1952 and was stationed in Japan from 1954 to 1955. Following his military duty, Crovello, seeking his expressive muse, returned to Japan in 1957 for four years and became enchanted with the rich tradition of classical calligraphy. The artist absorbed both the deep philosophy and technical execution of the ancient script by immersing himself in calligraphic study.
After returning to New York in 1961, the artist moved to Spain in 1968 and shifted from painting to sculpture, creating forms whose presence activated three-dimensional space. His stone and metal works draw directly from the smooth strokes of the Japanese brush, echoing the graceful brevity and elegant fluidity of an ancient tradition. Following the movement of the calligraphic stroke, Crovello created numerous public sculptures, such as the painted steel Cubed Curve installed in 1972 outside of the Time-Life Building in New York City, and the Swedish granite Katana (1980) in the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens at PepsiCo, Purchase, New York.