"Falling Playing Cards"— Abstract Steel Sculpture, Herbert Simon

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Introduce a magnificent stroke of mid-century architectural drama to your interior with this exceptional, authentic torch-cut steel sculpture titled "Falling … Read more 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 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 Herbert Simon's personal 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 artist: Herbert Simon (b. 1927) is an American sculptor and printmaker who taught in the art department at Wilkes University from 1969–1992. A student of Hans Hofmann, Robert Motherwell, and Philip Guston, his work bridges 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. This piece was consigned by the artist and acquired through a local auction house. See less