On view


American, 1906–1965
Becca, 1964
Steel
6 ft. 6 in. x 47 1/2 in. x 23 1/2 in. (198.1 x 120.7 x 59.7 cm)
Gift of the Ralph E. Ogden Foundation
© 2021 The Estate of David Smith / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Photo by Jerry L. Thompson
Becca is simultaneously abstract and an embodiment of its subject. It creatively depicts the buoyant energy of Smith’s daughter Rebecca, who was ten years old at the time it was made. Becca’s elements are welded together, a process in which pieces of steel are fused by being pressed together and heated with a blowtorch or other tool until reaching a melting temperature. Smith was considered a master of fine-art welding, and legions of artists have cited his influence on their work. The steel rods that compose this work are analogous to the thick brushstrokes of Abstract Expressionist paintings that other artists were creating in this era.

Location

Other works by this artist
Albany I

Albany I, 1959

Cubi XXI, 1964

Raven V, 1959

The Iron Woman, 1954–58

Volton XX, 1963