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“Everywhere I look, I can see the power and influence of Brancusi. He is still the most modern of modern sculptors. Frank Stella… Carl Andre… Flavin… None of these artists would really be the same without Brancusi.” — Paul Kasmin

We were deeply saddened yesterday to hear of the untimely passing of the great gallerist Paul Kasmin at the age of 60. A pioneer in the West Chelsea art district, Kasmin will be remembered as a great intellect and wit, championing younger artists, established artists, and artists’ estates with equal fervor. In a career of highlights, some of our personal favorites have surrounded his work with the estate of sculptor Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957). In 2013, to mark the 100th anniversary of Brancusi’s appearance in the 1913 Armory Show in New York, Paul Kasmin Gallery presented the exhibition Brancusi in New York 1913-2013, with an accompanying catalog. (2018’s Brancusi & Duchamp: The Art of Dialogue was also extraordinary.) In this trailer produced on the occasion of the 2013 exhibition, we hear from Kasmin himself, doing what he did best – speaking with passion and erudition about an artist he adored.

From Paul Kasmin Gallery:

The Gallery will present five masterpieces by Brancusi: Head, Mademoiselle Pogany II, The Newborn, Sleeping Muse II, and Fish. The works will be presented in a contemporary context at Paul Kasmin Gallery’s 515 West 27th Street location, from November 7, 2013 to January 24, 2014, as a testament to Brancusi’s continued relevance in today’s art world. A fully illustrated catalog, Brancusi in New York 1913 – 2013, published by Assouline, chronicles the sculptor’s success in New York City and his impact on its artistic milieu. The exhibition was produced in partnership with the Brancusi Estate and is curated by Jérôme Neutres, who is the catalog’s author.

Together Head, Mademoiselle Pogany II, The Newborn, Sleeping Muse II, and Fish explore dominant themes in Brancusi’s oeuvre. Collectively and individually, they testify to his signature style admired by New Yorkers since 1913, and today they exemplify a sophisticated expression of perfected simplicity. With these sculptures, Brancusi shattered the paradigm of abstraction in sculpture and radicalized the idea of purity in form. Simply stated in the words of Jérôme Neutres, “Brancusi changed the way art was made.”