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Truncated Pyramid

Maker (American, 1942 - 2013)
Date1989
MediumCarved marble with pink, grey, and black veining
DimensionsHeight: 66 in. (167.6 cm)
Credit LinePurchase, Gift of The Smart Family Foundation in memory of Dana Feitler
Object number1992.27
Object TypeSculpture
On View
On view
Jene Highstein created Truncated Pyramid using a reductive approach: he carved into the pink striated marble to achieve the undulating surface texture that is seen here. The sculpture was a gift to the University from the Smart Family Foundation in memory of Dana Feitler, whose parents were essential in establishing the Smart Museum.

Highstein became interested in fine art in the early 1960s, while studying philosophy as a graduate student at the University of Chicago. He took up painting at Midway Studios, and in 1965 chose to abandon his studies to pursue a career as an artist. He went on to study drawing in New York and London. In 1968, he had his first solo show, an installation at London’s Lisson Gallery that sparked nearly fifty years of sculptural and spatial practice