In 1958 he becomes reacquainted with a former classmate from Phillips Academy, Frank Stella, and shares a studio with him until 1960. Brâncuși inspires his first wooden sculptures, but conversations with Stella about space and form lead him in a different direction; seeing the hunks of wood cut away from one of his sculptures, Stella remarks that this too is sculpture.
1960
Sketches for the “Elements”: the modular principle
He makes sketches for a series of sculptures called “Elements”, built from standard blocks of wood 12 × 12 × 36 inches in simple configurations, but lacks the money to buy the timber. The decision to use modular units in regular, repeated compositions will become the basis of his later work.
1960–1964
A conductor on the Pennsylvania Railroad
He works as a freight brakeman and train conductor in New Jersey for the Pennsylvania Railroad. The experience of blue-collar labour and the ordered nature of freight trains will shape his sculpture and persona: he often turns up in overalls and a blue work shirt, even at the most formal occasions.
1965
First public exhibition: “Shape and Structure”
He shows his work in public for the first time in the exhibition “Shape and Structure” at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery, curated by Henry Geldzahler.
1966
“Lever” at “Primary Structures”
“Lever” — a single line of 137 firebricks hugging the floor and concisely dividing a space — is included in the exhibition “Primary Structures” at the Jewish Museum in New York; the controversial work brings Andre considerable recognition.
1970
Solo exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum
His solo exhibition takes place at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; “37 Pieces of Work”, which lies flat on the floor, is shown there for the first time.
