We Lost
We Lost, 1966, Steel
Anthony Smith (American, 1912 – 1980)
#1975.0013.0001
Anthony Smith began experimenting with constructions during his childhood. After contracting tuberculosis, he lived in an isolation ward in his backyard and would often form constructions out of his medicine boxes. He later attended Georgetown and began art evening courses. He was, however, disillusioned by these endeavors. Smith was finally able to find his place as a designer after working as Frank Lloyd Wright’s office clerk. We Lost was installed in 1966, at the height of the Vietnam War protests. Interestingly, anti-war protesters interpreted the piece and its title as commentary on the Vietnam War. The title of the sculpture was instead meant as a tribute to an abandoned project that posed an unsolvable design problem for Smith and his fabricator. We Lost was located on College Green until 1999, when it was removed for conservation. It was hidden from the public for 12 years and was then relocated onto the Singh Center for Nanotechnology in 2013. Old newspaper stories write that Penn students used to enjoy crawling inside the black open-air sculpture.
[metaslider id=1085]Location: 3205 Walnut Street, Philadelphia PA, 19104
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