Odessa 1963

Jean Tinguely made this kinetic sculpture, Odessa, out of metal parts, and other salvaged bits. When you look at it, you are really seeing the way he put it all together: a process of assembly. The surfaces have a kind of dull, matte finish, which gives it a serious, industrial feel. The whole thing is so wonderfully clunky. The big wheel, slightly off kilter, makes me think of movement. Look at how the belt is attached, it seems so delicate in contrast to the solid metal. The gesture seems really tender, like Tinguely is saying something about the beauty of decay and the potential for new life in old things. Tinguely also made the Meta-matics machines, which were drawing machines. It seems to me that the act of art-making itself was part of the point for him. Like John Chamberlain, Tinguely embraces the quirky beauty of found objects and celebrates the messy, unpredictable nature of creation. It's all about embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations.