The Sheet-Metal Sculpture That Set John Chamberlain's Auction Record Twice

John Chamberlain's Nutcracker (1958) sold for $5.53m at Sotheby's in New York on May 16, 2018. The painted and chromium plated steel work had been traded 4 times in the past.

John Chamberlain (1927–2011), the sculptor who created dynamic abstract works from crushed automobile steel, was an alumni of Black Mountain College in North Caroline, the progressive art school that brought the Bauhaus to the US.

Nutcracker is one of his first sculptures, created the year after the artist moved to New York. Its title reflects Chamberlain's interest in word play. At Black Mountain College he created word-based collages before turning to sculpture.

The piece first belonged to Allan Stone, the New York gallerist who was a champion of Chamberlain's work from the early 1960s onwards.

Chamberlain’s initial use of color-coated steel was partly motivated by the fact the found material was affordable and readily available. “I wasn’t interested in the car parts per se, I was interested in either the color or the shape or the amount," he said.

To underline his point the artist stressed: "I didn’t want engine parts, I didn’t want wheels, upholstery, glass, oil, tires, rubber, lining, what somebody’d left in the car when they dumped it, dashboards, steering wheels, shafts, rear ends, muffler systems, transmissions, fly wheels, none of that. Just the sheet metal."

The sale beat Chamberlain's previous auction record by $747,800, a 15% rise. The artist’s previous auction record was set by the same sculpture, which sold for $4.79m at Sotheby's on May 9, 2011.

A Brief History of John Chamberlain at Auction