Constantin Brancusi

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Constantin Brancusi, often seen as a sculptor of pure forms and a solitary visionary, is reexamined in this insightful book by Anna C. Chave. She dismantles prevalent myths, presenting Brancusi as an artist engaged with the avant-garde and the social issues of his time. Through feminist and social-historical perspectives, Chave reveals how Brancusi's work challenges cultural hierarchies, questions fixed sexual identities, and rejects traditional notions of mastery. She highlights the significance of his fragmented figures, which reflect the precarious status of the subject in a technological age, and how his polished, reflective sculptures evoke a modern, inward-looking self that invites narcissistic contemplation. Chave also discusses Brancusi's innovative use of repetition to comment on the changing status of handmade objects amid mass production, and how his sculptures often blur gender boundaries through scrambled sexual signs. Additionally, she explores the themes of transcendence and liberation in Brancusi's works, particularly through the revitalized imagery of sexual love and spiritual aspiration. By examining these aspects and Brancusi's dynamic approach to the concept of the base in relation to his sculptures, Chave illustrates how he fundamentally transformed the foundations of art.