Isamu Noguchi

Giacometti’s Shadow

Isamu Noguchi met sculptor Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) during his visit to France in 1949. While there are few records detailing their encounter, both artists incorporated abstraction into their work. Giacometti was best known for his iconic series of bronze sculptures representing tall, thin human bodies. The skeletal figures evoke a sense of sadness, isolation, and loneliness, reflecting the devastating conditions in Europe after World War II. Years later, Noguchi referenced these fragile, elongated forms in Giacometti’s Shadow, not only as a nod to the Swiss artist’s legacy in abstract sculpture, but also an expansion on such human experiences through galvanized steel.