Introduce a magnificent stroke of mid-century architectural drama to your interior with this exceptional, authentic torch-cut steel sculpture titled "Falling Playing Cards" by documented American sculptor Herbert Simon (b. 1927). Standing at an elegant 12 ½ inches tall, this tabletop masterwork beautifully encapsulates the raw, textured energy of the 20th-century Brutalist movement. Simon brilliantly subverts standard flat geometry here, creating vertically cascading, torch-fractured steel plates representing playing cards suspended in mid-air. Look closely to see the intricately burned and pierced negative spaces forming a stylized Heart and a Club suit. Punctuated by rich, variegated oxidation and heavy welded seams, this signed sculpture is a premier, investment-grade acquisition for a luxury library bookshelf, a modernist office desk, or an elite private fine art collection.

Measures 12 1/2"H x 4"W. Production date not documented. From the Herbert Simon
estate collection. It represents a highly sought-after artistic pivot where he purposefully shifted away from pure post-war abstraction to explore a stylized, intellectual form of representation"”using familiar motifs like falling playing cards while retaining his signature, raw Brutalist textures.

About The Herbert Simon Studio Archive: This piece belongs to an exclusive, single-provenance acquisition sourced directly from the private estate and studio archive of celebrated American sculptor and university professor Herbert Simon (1927–2017). A student of abstract expressionist titans Hans Hofmann, Robert Motherwell, and Philip Guston, Simon served as a professor at Wilkes University for over 20 years, where his work bridged the gap between the New York School and academic structuralism. His monumental public commissions are permanently installed at major regional landmarks, including the 'Facets' aluminum installation at Wilkes University, the 'Aloft' sculpture at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, and civic plazas across Pennsylvania. Spanning over fifty years of creative evolution, this collection represents a rare opportunity to acquire investment-grade art with institutional provenance.


Condition:
Alterations: Original Condition Unaltered
Imperfections: Some Imperfections
Condition Notes: Excellent vintage gallery condition. The sculpture is structurally rock-solid with no loose welds. The steel displays an incredibly rich, tactile, and intentionally weathered industrial patina featuring deep amber, bronze, and charcoal tones meticulously engineered by the artist.

Origin:
United States

Materials & Techniques:
Steel

International: No International Shipping for this auction.
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Original Condition Unaltered; Some Imperfections; Excellent vintage gallery condition. The sculpture is structurally rock-solid with no loose welds. The steel displays an incredibly rich, tactile, and intentionally weathered industrial patina featuring deep amber, bronze, and charcoal tones meticulously engineered by the artist.