Broken Obelisk

The Museum of Modern Art, New York (the USA).

Cor-Ten steel.

Of the several sculptures created by Newman, this one is the most monumental. The author used heavy steel with a rough surface, and this material contrasts with the impression of lightness created by the shape of an inverted obelisk. The upper, larger part almost soars above the stable lower pyramid. The two parts are connected by a narrow isthmus with the help of an internal steel rod stabilizing the entire massive sculpture. Although the ancient images of the pyramids and obelisks are often associated with death, the artist reinterpreted their essence, as if reinventing it. There are several versions of the “Broken Obelisk”. One of them – the one in Houston – is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.