he forms that make up the two hanging sculpture groups Noguchi Galaxy I & II are derived from the formal vocabulary developed by Isamu Noguchi (a local hero of sorts in Queens) in the late 1940s. Noguchi’s shapes formed a source code for the biomorphic modernism of the 1950s and are reproduced here because for they represent a moment of post-war experimentation and social progress. This work, created for the elementary school PS 330 is conceptually complex, yet emotionally accessible, offering many points of entry.

Documentation: Installation views at PS330 Queens

Noguchi Galaxy II

Terence Gower, 2013

Powder-coated aluminium, stainless steel hardware

320 x 300 x 240 cm overall

Commissioned by the New York School Construction Authority and installed at PS330 Queens

Fabricated at Argosy Designs, New York

Photography by Etienne Frossard

Project Essay: Noguchi Galaxy II

Related Project: Noguchi Galaxy (I)