Kouros

Mediums: marble.
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, the USA).

Kouros is an ancient Greek statue of a youth athlete, who normally was depicted naked, standing straight and keeping his head high. This image of masculine power and dominance in the interpretation of Noguchi consists of several abstract elements that create a delicate balance with the help of thin props and partitions. It seems that the artist calls into question the strength and power of Western culture, its unshakable ideals by such an unstable sculptural image. This challenge to American society was dictated by the prejudice against Japanese immigrants during World War II and the attack on Pearl Harbor, which was painfully perceived by the artist.