Polymorphic Sculpture: Leo Amino's Experiments in Three Dimensions

The American sculptor Leo Amino (1911-1989) was born in Taiwan to Japanese parents and raised in Tokyo. He arrived in California as a student in 1929 and soon settled in New York where he briefly studied direct carving techniques under Chaim Gross. Interested in transparency, light, and dialogue between interior form and outer structure, Amino explored different ways of opening up sculptural space and new materials like resin and plastic. His innovative and polymorphic sculpture drew from American modernism, European surrealism, and constructivism, Henry Moore’s biomorphic forms, and the new materials that were introduced into American manufacturing after World War II. Drawn primarily from Zimmerli’s collection, the exhibition includes examples of Amino’s work in wood, plastic, and resin.

Organized by Donna Gustafson, Curator of American Art and Mellon Director for Academic Programs