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Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

1923-2005

Venezuelan Op and kinetic painter and sculptor Jesús Rafael Soto (1923–2007) is perhaps best known for his immersive installations, which respond to their environments and physically absorb the viewer in a dynamic sensory experience.

The exploration of space is central to Soto’s work. This is evident in his early paintings, of the 1950s, which create the illusion of movement through simple compositions and a limited palette. During the same period, he integrated industrial materials like nylon and steel into linear constructions that were part painting, part sculpture.

But Rafael Soto’s grandest and most enigmatic creations are his “Pénétrables.” Made up of thousands of long clear or colored plastic strands suspended from the ceiling or from free-standing steel or PVC frames, these geometric sculptures play with the perception of space, inviting viewers to act as participants by moving within and through them.

The strips of some of the installations were partly painted, forming shapes when seen from a distance. The Houston Penetrable (2014), at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for instance, appears to hold a floating yellow ellipse.

Rafael Soto created 25 “Pénétrables” over the course of his career. Each further blurred the line between reality and illusion and established viewers as not just spectators but as integral parts of the artwork itself.

Shop Jesús Rafael Soto's art now at 1stDibs.

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Artist: Jesús Rafael Soto
Jai Alai Suite
Jai Alai Suite

Jai Alai Suite

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Miami, FL

JESUS RAFAEL SOTO Jai-Alai Suite: Multiple I, 1969 Plexiglass in white, blue, yellow, screen-print in black, nylon thread and steel. 25 1/8 x 21 1/2 x 7 3/4 in Ed. 15 / 300 Provenan...

Category

20th Century Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Quadrato
Quadrato

Quadrato

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Miami, FL

Jesus Rafael Soto (1923-2005) Quadrato 1974 Editions Denise Rene 46 of 75 Acrylic/aluminum with painted metal rods 17,5 x 15,7 x 12,5 in Signed and dated Provenance: Editions Galeri...

Category

1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Hannover
Hannover

Hannover

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Miami, FL

Jesus Rafael Soto "Hannover" 1970 Color silkscreen on transparent plexiglass panel, metal rods on nylon threads. It has the original box. 7 x 21 x 5 in Ed. 170 of 200 Provenance: Va...

Category

1970s Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Metal

MIROIRS D'ARTISTE 3D Wall Sculpture, Mirror & Plexiglass, 20th Century
MIROIRS D'ARTISTE 3D Wall Sculpture, Mirror & Plexiglass, 20th Century

MIROIRS D'ARTISTE 3D Wall Sculpture, Mirror & Plexiglass, 20th Century

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Aventura, FL

Mirrored glass and silkscreened plexiglass wall sculpture. Incised artist signature and edition on verso. From the EA edition of 20 (there is also the main edition of 99). Artwork...

Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Mirror, Plexiglass, Screen

La Escalera Azul, de la serie Sintesis

La Escalera Azul, de la serie Sintesis

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Miami, FL

La Escalera Azul, de la serie Sintesis 1979 Plexiglas and metal Ed 37 of 110 20 x 14 x 5 in Literature: Museo Guggenheim Bilbao. “Soto. The Fourth dimension”. Catalogue published on...

Category

1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Anillo Edition Denisse Rene 33 pieces
Anillo Edition Denisse Rene 33 pieces

Anillo Edition Denisse Rene 33 pieces

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Miami, FL

Jesús Rafael Soto was a Venezuelan artist known for his kinetic sculptures and large-scale installations. Like Alexander Calder and George Rickey, Soto’s delicate and responsive constructions react to external stimuli and changes in the atmosphere, as seen in his work Penetrable (1990). “Artistic creation is a force which should preferably be directed towards the exploration of space, of the universe, of the infinite realities which surround us, but of which we are hardly conscious,” Soto once mused. Born on June 5, 1923 in Cuidad Bolívar, Venezuela, he studied at the Escuela des artes plásticas in Caracas from 1942–1947 and later served as the director of the Escuela de bellas artes in Maracaibo, Venezuela until his move to Europe in 1950. Settling in Paris, he associated with the Op Art artists Victor Vasarely and Yaacov Agam, as well as members of the ZERO group such as Otto Piene, Jean Tinguely, and Heinz Mack. In 1973, the Museo de arte modern Jesús...

Category

20th Century Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Stainless Steel

Petite Vibration Brique et Noir
Petite Vibration Brique et Noir

Petite Vibration Brique et Noir

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Miami, FL

Petite Vibration Brique et Noir (1966) Painted wood with a painted metal rod and nylon thread Edition Galerie Bischofberger, Zurich Ed. 16 / 35 20 x 18 x 18 in Provenance: Galerie Elke Dröscher, Hamburg Galerie Meißner, Hamburg (1976) Private collection, Baden-Württemberg Lempertz Auction. Contemporary Art...

Category

1960s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Vibrations Metalliques
Vibrations Metalliques

Vibrations Metalliques

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Miami, FL

TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Jesus Rafael Soto (June 5, 1923 - January 14, 2005, Venezuelan) Vibrations Metalliques 1969 painted metal with metal rod with nylon string 10 3/4 x 11 3/4 x 5...

Category

1960s Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Metal

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Image-miroir (Mirror Image), 1965
Image-miroir (Mirror Image), 1965

Victor VasarelyImage-miroir (Mirror Image), 1965, 1965

$10,000Sale Price|33% Off

H 18.13 in W 15.75 in

Image-miroir (Mirror Image), 1965

By Victor Vasarely

Located in Palo Alto, CA

Created in 1965, this sculpture is hand signed by Victor Vasarely (1906 – 1997) in black ink on one of the aluminum panels in the lower right (nearest to the center cross-section); f...

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Forest Light - contemporary, hand-blown glass and steel outdoor sculpture

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2 +3 = 4, 1981
2 +3 = 4, 1981

Yaacov Agam2 +3 = 4, 1981, 1981

$15,000

H 35.43 in W 24.81 in

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Previously Available Items
Vibrations Metalliques
Vibrations Metalliques

Vibrations Metalliques

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Jesús Rafael Soto (1923-2005) was a Venezuelan artist and key figure of Kinetic Art and Op Art, best known for his large-scale sculptures. After completing his artistic training at...

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1960s Abstract Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Serie Sintesis, Mixed Media Op Art Sculpture by Jesus Rafael Soto
Serie Sintesis, Mixed Media Op Art Sculpture by Jesus Rafael Soto

Serie Sintesis, Mixed Media Op Art Sculpture by Jesus Rafael Soto

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Long Island City, NY

Serie Sintesis Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923–2005) Date: 1979 Screenprint on Plexiglass and Metal Rods Edition of 36/110 Size: 11.8 x 27.5 x 5 in. (29.97 x 69.85 x 12.7 cm) Pub...

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1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

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Metal

Jesús-Rafael Soto - Tes Azules Y Negras - Kinetic Sculpture, 1979
Jesús-Rafael Soto - Tes Azules Y Negras - Kinetic Sculpture, 1979

Jesús-Rafael Soto - Tes Azules Y Negras - Kinetic Sculpture, 1979

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Varese, IT

Jesús-Rafael Soto ( 1923 - 2005 ) - Tes Azules Y Negras - kinetic sculpture, 1979 Additional information: Material: Kinetic sculpture, edited in 1979, made with Screen printing on t...

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20th Century Kinetic Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

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Metal

Jai Alai Suite Edition 60 of 300
Jai Alai Suite Edition 60 of 300

Jai Alai Suite Edition 60 of 300

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Miami, FL

Jesús Rafael Soto was a Venezuelan artist known for his kinetic sculptures and large-scale installations. Like Alexander Calder and George Rickey, Soto’s delicate and responsive constructions react to external stimuli and changes in the atmosphere, as seen in his work Penetrable (1990). “Artistic creation is a force which should be directed towards the exploration of space, of the universe, of the infinite realities which surround us, but of which we are hardly conscious,” Soto once mused. Born on June 5, 1923 in Cuidad Bolívar, Venezuela, he studied at the Escuela des artes plásticas in Caracas from 1942–1947 and later served as the director of the Escuela de bellas artes in Maracaibo, Venezuela until his move to Europe in 1950. Settling in Paris, he associated with the Op Art artists Victor Vasarely and Yaacov Agam and members of the ZERO group such as Otto Piene, Jean Tinguely, and Heinz Mack. In 1973, the Museo de Arte modern Jesús...

Category

20th Century Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Objeto Cinetico Arcay
Objeto Cinetico Arcay

Jesús Rafael SotoObjeto Cinetico Arcay, 1970

Sold

H 21.25 in W 20.75 in D 4.75 in

Objeto Cinetico Arcay

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923 - 2005) Title: Objeto Cinetico Arcay Year: 1970 Medium: Acrylic Wall Sculpture, signed and numbered Edition: 2/8 Size: 21.25 x 20.8 x 4.75...

Category

1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Mixed Media

Biface
Biface

Jesús Rafael SotoBiface, 1970

Sold

H 12.5 in W 10.5 in D 9.5 in

Biface

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Jesus Rafael Soto Title: Biface Year: 1968-1970 Medium: Mixed Media Kinetic Sculpture, signature, title, and numbering inscribed Edition: 92/200 Size: 12.5 x 10.5 x 9.5 in (...

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1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Materials

Mixed Media

Homenaje a Humano from An American Portrait
Homenaje a Humano from An American Portrait

Homenaje a Humano from An American Portrait

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923 - 2005) Title: Homenaje a Humano from An American Portrait Year: 1976 Medium: Metal and Wood Sculpture, signed and numbered, verso Edi...

Category

1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Multiple V from Jai Alai
Multiple V from Jai Alai

Multiple V from Jai Alai

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923 - 2005) Title: Multiple V from Jai-Alai Year: 1969 Medium: Painted Wood and Metal Sculpture, signed and numbered on base Edition: 18/3...

Category

1960s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto Sculptures

Jesús Rafael Soto sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Jesús Rafael Soto sculptures available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of sculptures to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Jesús Rafael Soto in metal, wood, fabric and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Jesús Rafael Soto sculptures, so small editions measuring 6 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Ludwig Wilding, and Victor Vasarely. Jesús Rafael Soto sculptures prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $15,000 and tops out at $70,000, while the average work can sell for $25,000.

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