Four Last Leaves
Date
1952
Creator
Location
Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
Some of Rickey’s mobiles hang from the ceiling; others are grounded by three-legged, indeterminate forms. In many of them, thin intertwined wires branch out from a central spine, terminating in assorted shapes that serve as counterweights. These constructions clearly evidence the influence of [Alexander] Calder. In Four Last Leaves, completed in 1952, a slightly curved inner axis forms a thin line that is interrupted at various intervals by the twist of a joint where other wires attach. Minute flat circles attached to four of the elongated legs serve as delicately engineered balance points, lightly anchoring the structure and allowing the slightest air current to send the work crawling through the air. from Kephart, Passages of Light and Time: George Rickey's Life in Motion (Notre Dame, 2009)
![Some of Rickey’s mobiles hang from the ceiling; others are grounded by three-legged, indeterminate forms. In many of them, thin intertwined wires branch out from a central spine, terminating in assorted shapes that serve as counterweights. These constructions clearly evidence the influence of [Alexander] Calder. In Four Last Leaves, completed in 1952, a slightly curved inner axis forms a thin line that is interrupted at various intervals by the twist of a joint where other wires attach. Minute flat circles attached to four of the elongated legs serve as delicately engineered balance points, lightly anchoring the structure and allowing the slightest air current to send the work crawling through the air.
from Kephart, Passages of Light and Time: George Rickey's Life in Motion (Notre Dame, 2009)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fiiif-image.library.nd.edu%2Fiiif%2F2%2F2009.064.011%2F2009_064_011-v0005%2Ffull%2Ffull%2F0%2Fdefault.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![Some of Rickey’s mobiles hang from the ceiling; others are grounded by three-legged, indeterminate forms. In many of them, thin intertwined wires branch out from a central spine, terminating in assorted shapes that serve as counterweights. These constructions clearly evidence the influence of [Alexander] Calder. In Four Last Leaves, completed in 1952, a slightly curved inner axis forms a thin line that is interrupted at various intervals by the twist of a joint where other wires attach. Minute flat circles attached to four of the elongated legs serve as delicately engineered balance points, lightly anchoring the structure and allowing the slightest air current to send the work crawling through the air.
from Kephart, Passages of Light and Time: George Rickey's Life in Motion (Notre Dame, 2009)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fiiif-image.library.nd.edu%2Fiiif%2F2%2F2009.064.011%2F2009_064_011-v0002%2Ffull%2Ffull%2F0%2Fdefault.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Our collection information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. If you have spotted an error, please contact Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at RMMACollections@nd.edu.