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Detroit Deliquescence by John Chamberlain
Photo CreditPhoto courtesy of McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc.
Detroit Deliquescence
Photo CreditPhoto courtesy of McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc.

Detroit Deliquescence

Year1982
Classification sculpture
Medium welded automobile body sheet metal
Dimensions17 x 12 x 12 ft. (518.1 x 365.7 x 365.7 cm)
Credits Commissioned through the Art in Architecture Program
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration
  • Shaped roughly like a pyramid with isosceles sides, Chamberlain's sculpture is constructed


    of long, flexible-looking forms whose malleable surfaces appear crumpled and random.  The artist is known for working exclusively with used automobile parts. Individual chunks of "Deliquescence" have been painted different colors, including shades of red and a metallic base with spots of blue color interrupting the sheen.