Recraforms: mid-century play sculptures by Mary Preminger

 

I had an amazing weekend amongst the playgrounds of New York City, and was pleased to meet many of you readers!  Detailed posts about the MoMA symposium and assorted playground visits are in preparation, but in the meantime, enjoy these 'Recraforms'. 

That's what Mary Preminger--artist, sculptor, designer and wife of filmmaker Otto Preminger--called her mid-century play constructs, at least two of which were installed (below, pictured in San Diego) though many more were planned and not executed.  I'm excited that what we know about mid-century play sculpture--of which the best documented points are the works of Noguchi and the contests held by MoMA and the Corcoran gallery--keeps broadening to include things like the Czechoslovakian play contest and these beautiful pieces.  

Mary's work was in danger of being forgotten;  she believed that Otto had her blacklisted in the art world after their divorce, and many of these photos were in storage and narrowly escaped being discarded.  Her  legacy is now being preserved online, and you can see more drawings, sculptures and recraforms at marypreminger.com, where her art 'bubbles to the surface'.


[Thanks to Mike for letting me know about these, and watch for more of Mary's play work in future posts, thanks to her web archivist!  If you know have additional information about these lovely pieces, please get in touch. ]