Yaacov Agam (Israeli, born Palestine [now Israel], 1928). *Loud Tactile Painting*, 1962. Wood and metal, 32 x 42 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches (81.3 x 108 x 21.6 cm). Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Gift of Seymour H. Knox, Jr., 1963 (K1963:11). © Yaacov Agam / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

Yaacov Agam

Israeli, active in Paris, born Rishon-le-Zion, Palestine (now Israel), 1928

Loud Tactile Painting, 1962

wood and metal

overall: 32 x 42 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches (81.28 x 107.95 x 21.59 cm)

Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York

Gift of Seymour H. Knox, Jr., 1963

K1963:11

More Details

Class

Sculpture

Work Type

Construction (sculpture)

Information may change due to ongoing research.Glossary of Terms

Yaacov Agam approaches painting and sculpture with the belief that art is meant to be enjoyed through multiple senses. Raised as an Orthodox Jew, Agam’s father, a rabbi, discouraged his artistic pursuits. To combine his desires to make art and to respect the biblical prohibition against figural imagery, Agam began creating nonrepresentational compositions as a means to inspire spiritual reflection. This painting is one of a number of tactile constructions the artist created to vibrate, move, or make sound when touched. Loud Tactile Painting features thirty-five long, slender springs attached to rattle-like drums made of metal that produce a subtle variety of tones and a pattern of bobbing shadows when activated.

Label from Giant Steps: Artists and the 1960s, June 30–December 30, 2018