Models

Museums

Model on completion, 1984.

Model in MoMA Conservation Lab for cleaning. 2024.

For Artists

Known for his model work for I.M. Pei, and MoMA, artists sought List out for models of public art proposals.

Jean Claude & Christo

Jean Claude & Christo. Surrounded Islands Proposal Model. 4 panels. 8 x 40 ft. overall. Fabrication at the Michael Seiler Studio. NYC.

Richard Serra collaborated with architect Richard Gluckman to propose a design for a Holocaust Memorial for Berlin. Simple in its appearance yet complex in its geometry and engineering, the design had banked elliptical walls above ground with two independent spiral staircases winding 8 stories underground to an open-roofed central vault space. The project was not realized but the fabrication techniques developed by List on the model were used in Serra’s later works.

Richard Serra

Richard Serra/ Richard Gluckman. Berlin Holocaust Memorial Proposal. CAD drawing, laser cut plexiglas and wood.

Noguchi Museum

Models for artists led to models for an artist’s museum. Isamu Noguchi designed many gardens and sculpture parks but the models were often lost. Final “as-built” drawings were never made so List’s exhibition models for the artist’s museum were “reverse engineered” or composited from photos, measurements, notes, and verbal descriptions all vetted by the artist’s authentication team.

Isamu Noguchi. Keio Faculty Lounge. CAD drawing, laser cut plexiglas.

Isamu Noguchi. Billy Rose Sculpture Garden. CAD drawing, laser cut plexiglas, carved rigid foam, embossed vinyl.

Replicas of Lost Artworks

Noguchi

In 2000 the success of the re-creation of the lost garden models led to a request to create an exhibition replica of a lost chess set Noguchi had made to go with a rare chess table he had designed. Using photo-telemetry on the only two black and white photos of the chess pieces, List created drawings and samples that were approved by an authentication committee of the people who had worked closely with Noguchi and knew the details of his style.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: One of the only two photos of the original Noguchi Chess Set & Table. Drawings were developed of each piece, scaled to the tabletop dimensions. Final drawings were transferred to a computer-driven laser to cut the parts. Laser-cut, hand finished and assembled replica Chess Set on original table.

Lost Imagery of Chess Artworks

Noguchi’s chess set & table were for the 1944 Imagery of Chess show at the Julien Levy Gallery. List’s next project was to find the other artists’ works to “reassemble” the 1944 show with Noguchi’s work as the centerpiece and then write a book about it. Some of the most interesting works didn’t exist any more. Without them, the show would not be complete. List found enough information from photos and review descriptions to be able to make accurate exhibition replicas.

All works courtesy of Isamu Noguchi Museum. Photos: Kevin Noble.

Yves Tanguy. Chess Set & Folding Table. 2004 Replica of lost original c. 1944. Painted wood dowels. Tallest piece: 3 7/8 in. Table: Painted wooden board with painted steel folding table legs. 36 x 21 x 21 in.

Xenia Cage. Chess Table. 2004. Replica of lost original c. 1944. Wood rod structure. 19 3/8 x 24 x 24 in.

Andre Breton/Nicolas Calas. Wine Glass Chess Set & Mirrored Board. 2004. Replica of lost original c. 1944. Mirrors, glasses, red and white wine.

Xanti Schawinsky. Chess Table Assemblage. 2004. Replica of lost original c. 1944. Wood table with clear acrylic chessboard over black & white photograph, cast resin mannequin hand, acrylic plastic rods and wood chess pieces. 48 x 36 x 36 in.

Posthumous Editions

Man Ray Limited Edition

In 2006, a chess collector and marketing firm acquired the legal right from The Man Ray Trust to make and market a posthumous edition of a Man Ray chess set, provided that List would over-see the adherence to the original design and museum quality materials and production. Two copies of the proposed edition of ten were produced from solid sterling silver, a true luxury chess set with a solid walnut case and walnut and maple board.

2008 Man Ray Silver Chess Set with Presentation Case & Board. Solid sterling silver. Tallest piece: 3 in. Walnut case with maple & walnut board. Photo: Risa Korris

Noguchi Limited Edition

In 2006 the Noguchi Museum decided to issue a limited edition of ten copies of the 1944 Chess Table and Chess Set for which List did the ten chess sets and Zach Hadlock did the tables. Though there was some skepticism as to the wisdom of this project, the entire edition sold out in a week.

Isamu Noguchi. Chess Table & Chess Set. 2006 posthumous edition of 1944 originals. Ebonized joined birch tabletop with red and transparent acrylic plastic inserts, ebonized veneer plywood legs and painted or anodized cast aluminum storage pockets. 19 1/8 x 24 15/26 x 26 ¼ in. With the 2006 replica of Noguchi’s c. 1944 Chess Set. Red and green Plexiglas. Tallest piece 4 7/8 in. Isamu Noguchi Museum. Photos: Kevin Noble.

Man Ray Edition

In 2011, AMEICO, a Swiss/American firm acquired the rights from The Man Ray Trust to make and market a posthumous edition of a Man Ray chess set, provided that List would oversee the adherence to the original design and quality materials and production. Instead of limited luxury editions, AMEICO produced high quality open-ended editions at a more affordable price point. Though the prices were kept low, the quality was kept high. The Man Ray pieces were produced in Germany with the exception of the scroll form Knights, which were all specially carved by an Italian violin-making studio. This set and board have been selling globally since 2014.

https://ameico.com/products/man-ray-chess-board

Cy Endfield Edition

List was invited to work with AMEICO again to produce a re-edition of the 1972 Cy Endfield Chess Set commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Fischer–Spassky World Championship Match. The production was quite complex. To cut the pieces of the chess set, the only company in the U.S.A. that could do precise small-scale 5-axis laser cutting of brass tubing was hired. One company did the hand finishing; another did the silver and gold plating; a specialist in Paris produced the folding boards; the presentation cases were supplied from Asia.

https://ameico.com/products/cy-endfield-travel-chess-set

Noguchi Edition

List worked once more with AMEICO, this time to produce an affordable open-ended edition of the Noguchi Chess Set. The set was planned in the U.S.A; parts were cut in Germany; final assembly was done in Switzerland. The distinctive bio-morphic curves of the table top were reproduced as a folding board to provide portability and easy storage.

https://ameico.com/products/noguchi-chess-set

Public Art- Architecture

MODELS FOR PUBLIC ART PROJECTS. 1980 – 1995.

Surrounded Islands Project. Christo & Jean Claude

Berlin Holocaust Memorial. Richard Serra withRichard Gluckman.

Bus Stop Models 1 – 5. Dennis Adams.

Mirrored Pavilions for French Parks. Dan Graham.

Monument to John James Audubon. Fred Wilson.

Structures for San Diego Train Station. Andrea Blum.

Monument to Korean War Veterans. Mac Adams.  

MUSEUM OF MODERN ART.

Fallingwater Model. Frank Lloyd Wright.

Site topography, stream, & waterfall.

 Johnson Wax Atrium Model. Frank Lloyd Wright. Fabricated furniture.

Charles & Ray Eames’ Home. Conservation & repair of original Model.

RICHARD GLUCKMAN (NOW GLUCKMAN-TANG) ASSOCIATES.

Design & presentation models.

Whitney Museum Gallery Renovations.

Dia Chelsea Exhibition Spaces.

O’Keefe Museum.

Barcelona Maritime Museum.

Numerous other projects working for or in conjunction with

Studio Associates, Brooklyn Modelworks,

DCM Fabrication & Gulliver’s Gate.

Richard Gluckman. Breakaway development model of the Maritime Museum of Barcelona. Painted plexiglas. Approximately 48 x 72 in.