Jorge OTEIZA (1908–2003) - Lot 16

Jorge OTEIZA (1908–2003) Zazpiak The model created in 1972. Bronze cast from 2001, signed and annotated P/A. Cast by Alfa Lan in Eibar (Guipúzcoa). H. 35 cm; W. 53 cm; D. 47 cm Bibliography: T. BADIOLA & D. MARTINEZ-SUAREZ, Oteiza: Catalogue Raisonné of Sculpture - Vol. II: Abstract Work, San Sebastián, Nerea, 2016, No. CRJO 6.3.33.003, p. 611. This work symbolizes the sculptor’s deep attachment to the Basque Country, where objective abstraction meets nationalist and subjective sentiment. Created in 2001 under his supervision, our bronze version is the realization of a plaster work created in 1974. A testament to the artist’s patience, seven copies were cast, including our version, an annotated artist’s proof. Like most of the Master’s sculptures, this piece was created in his “Laboratoire de Craies.” Rising from a flat base, seven branches seem to converge toward a single destination: Zazpiak Bat. The year 1974 was significant for the artist. In 1973, he achieved artistic recognition with the exhibition of his works created for the Sanctuary of Arantzazu. But above all, this year marked the end of his residence in Irún, as he moved the following year to Alzuza to the studio that would later become the headquarters of the Oteiza Foundation. An artist of the void, he created here a relatively solid sculpture that invites the viewer to see between the lines. Just as these lines trace a path, the artist embarked on “his” path to Alzuza—a spiritual journey that left behind public and political tensions in search of inner peace.