“I enjoy doing sculpture of course, but the special bang I get is having the feeling that I am a young sculptor, just beginning, which is a nice feeling for an old painter like me.”

– Adolph Gottlieb in Art Now: New York, vol. 1, no. 7, New York, September 1969

While primarily known as a painter, Adolph Gottlieb ventured into making sculpture at the age of 64. For a short period between 1967 and 1969, Gottlieb experimented with translating his visual ideas into sculpture. He executed ten small, painted cardboard maquettes; a group of twelve painted steel or aluminum sculptures between 23 and 45 inches long; three outdoor sculptures of about 10 feet in length; and a few unique works in bronze, brass, and painted wood.

“Gottlieb: Sculpture” was an exhibition that took place at the University of Maryland Art Gallery in 1970. This show was Adolph Gottlieb’s first sculpture exhibition and featured seven of his sculptural works. Here we look back and remember Gottlieb’s exploration of color and form in real space.