Louise Nevelson (1899-1988), "Small Cities XI", 1978-85, black painted wood sculpture, 50.8x32.4x11.4 cm 

Provenance: Galerie Alice Pauli, Lausanne, 30 April 1986; Swiss private collection, then remained in the family until today

Exhibition: Louise Nevelson, Galerie Alice Pauli, Lausanne, April-May 1986, exhibition catalogue, no. 19, ill.

"These pieces of old wood all have their own history and drama. To me it's like taking someone who has been sitting in the gutter on the Bowery for years, left out and scorned. And suddenly someone comes along who sees how to take that being and turn it into a complete being."

It is from reclaimed wood that Louise Nevelson makes her solid wood assemblages rooted in abstract expressionism, cubism and constructivism. Her creations allow for the rebirth of forgotten and discarded materials to which she gives new meaning while retaining the emotional charge linked to its history. They are now called Environmental Art. "When you put things together, things that other people have thrown away, you really bring them back to life - a spiritual life that surpasses the life they were originally created for.

A Ukrainian immigrant who arrived in New York in 1905, she quickly became involved in the recognition of women artists. From the concept of the "ready-made" of Duchamp (whom she nicknamed "the first recycler") to Picasso's cubism, which she considered to be masterful, and including Native American art, all these influences forged the artist's aesthetic proposal.

In contrast to the New York art scene of the time, where colour was predominant, her works are monochromatic. She chose black as her favourite colour. "For me, black contains the silhouette, the essence of the universe.

One of the most recognized sculptors of the 20th century, she exhibited in major institutions such as the Guggenheim and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Her works are now part of museum collections such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Museum, which have each acquired pieces.