Brâncuși v. United States": A Legal Case That Redefined Art Theater workshop presented as part of “The Brâncuși Month in New York”

ROMANIAN INSTITUTE 200 E 38 ST 3 WEEKS OF BRANCUSI: MUSIC, ART AND A COURT TRIAL ON fEB 21 THE US GOVERNMEENT ARRESTED HIM WHEN HE ARRIVED WITH HIS SCULPURES CALLING THEM MECHANICAL ITEMS. THEY WENT TO COURT . Did you know Brâncuși once went head-to-head with U.S. Customs officials over whether his works were "art" or "industrial objects"? Adapted by Amanda L. Andrei and Codin Andrei from Tatiana Niculescu’s acclaimed book, Brancusi v. United States dramatizes the moment the great Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși sued the United States after his iconic sculpture, "Bird in Space", was denied recognition as art. The outcome of the trial, held in 1928, forever changed the legal definition of art in America and signaled the dawn of modern art. in the 20th century.   Brancusi v. United StatesWritten by: Tatiana Niculescu Adapted for stage by: Amanda L. Andrei Directed by: Dina Vovsi This play was part of a three part series at the Romanian Institute which included music of the time, and modern painters after Brancusi. Peggy Gugenheim, called Constantine Brancusi "half peasant, half God" He had studied with Rodin but his sculpures are devoid of the organic approach He simplefies his bronzes to structure, like the skeleton of the body alone, without the muscles nor skin...down to the essence alone, down to the idea. to the aesthetics. The U.S. Goverment had called his works "industrial works. Surrounded by his peers, Duchamp Modigliani, Steichen, he won the fight for the definition of "modern art",an art which made you .feel "