“Here is where finally opposites come together, I see a surprising purity. Stone is the depth, metal the mirror. They do not conflict…” —Isamu Noguchi

While the renowned sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) is best known for his work in stone, he consistently explored new materials and methods during his wide-ranging career. He first experimented with aluminum in the 1950s and later with galvanized steel, creating a series of twenty-six sculptures in collaboration with Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles in 1982–83. In this body of work, each sheet of metal is cut with a plasma torch and then dipped into boiling zinc, resulting in sculptures that are subtly patterned and highly reflective, resembling pebbles in a stream or the epidermal layer of skin.