Corkscrew for "The Bottle of Wine in the Sky"
An Artifact of Celebration: Jim Love's Corkscrew for the "Bottle of Wine in the Sky"
Title: The Bavinger Commission Corkscrew: A Jim Love Original Artist: Jim Love (American, 1927–2005)Medium: Welded and Forged Steel Dimensions: 26 1/2" L Provenance: Bavinger House Collection, Norman, Oklahoma Period: Mid-Century Modern / Assemblage Art
The Story: A Monumental Toast to Modernism
This striking piece of assemblage art is more than a corkscrew; it is a profound sculptural artifact celebrating the completion of one of the most significant and radical homes in American architectural history: the Bavinger House. Created in 1966.
Crafted by the renowned Texas sculptor Jim Love, this oversized, utilitarian object was created in celebratory action of architect Bruce Goff and owner/artist Eugene Bavinger. It serves as a monumental, humorous gesture to officially "open" the house to the world. The title, "Corkscrew for The Bottle of Wine in the Sky," perfectly captures the soaring, optimistic, and slightly fantastical spirit of Goff's spiral, wall-less structure, which seemed to defy gravity itself.
Love’s work brilliantly satirizes and celebrates the everyday object, transforming industrial steel into a piece of fine art. This corkscrew is a unique confluence of three legendary figures: the architect (Goff), the patron (Bavinger), and the artist (Love), forever linking them to the moment of the Bavinger House's debut.
The Object: Industrial Wit and Provenance
Forged from raw steel, the work embodies the bold, sometimes brutalist, aesthetic of the era, while its absurd scale injects a delightful dose of artistic wit.
Sculptural Form: The robust, hand-welded steel construction elevates the humble corkscrew into a formidable, almost ceremonial object. The piece’s sheer length—26 1/2 inches—makes it clear its function is purely symbolic.
Irreplaceable Provenance: As a bespoke commission created specifically to commemorate the Bavinger House and drawn directly from the personal collection of Eugene Bavinger, this piece possesses an exceptional, documented provenance. It is a tangible link to the inner circle of mid-century American architecture and art.
A perfect acquisition for collectors of Jim Love's celebrated assemblage art, or for institutions dedicated to Bruce Goff and the legacy of the Bavinger House. This corkscrew represents the moment the dream of the "Bottle of Wine in the Sky" was finally uncorked.
An Artifact of Celebration: Jim Love's Corkscrew for the "Bottle of Wine in the Sky"
Title: The Bavinger Commission Corkscrew: A Jim Love Original Artist: Jim Love (American, 1927–2005)Medium: Welded and Forged Steel Dimensions: 26 1/2" L Provenance: Bavinger House Collection, Norman, Oklahoma Period: Mid-Century Modern / Assemblage Art
The Story: A Monumental Toast to Modernism
This striking piece of assemblage art is more than a corkscrew; it is a profound sculptural artifact celebrating the completion of one of the most significant and radical homes in American architectural history: the Bavinger House. Created in 1966.
Crafted by the renowned Texas sculptor Jim Love, this oversized, utilitarian object was created in celebratory action of architect Bruce Goff and owner/artist Eugene Bavinger. It serves as a monumental, humorous gesture to officially "open" the house to the world. The title, "Corkscrew for The Bottle of Wine in the Sky," perfectly captures the soaring, optimistic, and slightly fantastical spirit of Goff's spiral, wall-less structure, which seemed to defy gravity itself.
Love’s work brilliantly satirizes and celebrates the everyday object, transforming industrial steel into a piece of fine art. This corkscrew is a unique confluence of three legendary figures: the architect (Goff), the patron (Bavinger), and the artist (Love), forever linking them to the moment of the Bavinger House's debut.
The Object: Industrial Wit and Provenance
Forged from raw steel, the work embodies the bold, sometimes brutalist, aesthetic of the era, while its absurd scale injects a delightful dose of artistic wit.
Sculptural Form: The robust, hand-welded steel construction elevates the humble corkscrew into a formidable, almost ceremonial object. The piece’s sheer length—26 1/2 inches—makes it clear its function is purely symbolic.
Irreplaceable Provenance: As a bespoke commission created specifically to commemorate the Bavinger House and drawn directly from the personal collection of Eugene Bavinger, this piece possesses an exceptional, documented provenance. It is a tangible link to the inner circle of mid-century American architecture and art.
A perfect acquisition for collectors of Jim Love's celebrated assemblage art, or for institutions dedicated to Bruce Goff and the legacy of the Bavinger House. This corkscrew represents the moment the dream of the "Bottle of Wine in the Sky" was finally uncorked.