Approach    Sideways Steps

Approach Sideways Steps

Franz Erhard Walther
German, born 1939
1968
A set of white fabric forms stored in a simple plywood case that the artist intended to be handled and set in motion, turning viewers into participants.
It reads at first like a plain wooden shelf full of mattress‑like bundles and tied straps—soft, folded cloth compressed into modular units whose taut ties and rumpled surfaces suggest bodies and actions waiting to be released.
Walther's work helped remake sculpture from an inert object into a participatory, performative practice that made viewers co‑creators and opened a path toward body‑based and relational art.
Medium
Fabric
Dimensions
210 1/4 x 5 1/8" (534 x 13 cm)
Classification
Credit
Scott Burton Fund
Accession
1060.2010.47
Palette
Exhibitions
View on moma.org

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Very Similar

> 65%
Starting Point and Paths 79%

Starting Point and Paths

Franz Erhard Walther

1969

Starting Point and Paths 79% Franz Erhard Walther 1969 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture Component (Box for cloth sh... German 1060.2010.51
Body 79%

Body

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Body 79% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 95 11/16 x 44 1/8" (243 x 1... German 1060.2010.29
Positions 78%

Positions

Franz Erhard Walther

1969

Positions 78% Franz Erhard Walther 1969 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 25 9/16 x 3 15/16 x 25 3/16... German 1060.2010.54
Time    Place    Duration    Direction    Relation 78%

Time Place Duration Direction Relation

Franz Erhard Walther

1969

Time Place Duration Direction Relation 78% Franz Erhard Walther 1969 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture Component: 86 5/8 x 60 5/8"... German 1060.2010.58
Centered 77%

Centered

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Centered 77% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 48 3/8 x 48" (122.8 x 121.9... German 1060.2010.23
Closeness 77%

Closeness

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Closeness 77% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 10 11/16 x 6 3/4" (27.1 x 1... German 1060.2010.30
Strike 77%

Strike

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Strike 77% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 336 5/8 x 31 1/2" (855 x 80... German 1060.2010.41
Untitled 76%

Untitled

Franz Erhard Walther

1963

Untitled 76% Franz Erhard Walther 1963 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 41 5/16 x 8 1/4" (105 x 21 cm) German 1060.2010.1
Cross    Connecting Form 76%

Cross Connecting Form

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Cross Connecting Form 76% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 118 1/8 x 118 1/8" (300 x 3... German 1060.2010.36
Head to Head Via Head 76%

Head to Head Via Head

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Head to Head Via Head 76% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 78 3/4 x 59 1/16" (200 x 15... German 1060.2010.24
Proportions and Time 76%

Proportions and Time

Franz Erhard Walther

1968

Proportions and Time 76% Franz Erhard Walther 1968 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 63 x 1 3/8 x 1 3/8" (160 x ... German 1060.2010.43
Place    Time    Inside    Outside 76%

Place Time Inside Outside

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Place Time Inside Outside 76% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 7 1/2 x 42 15/16" (19 x 109... German 1060.2010.37
Five 76%

Five

Franz Erhard Walther

1966

Five 76% Franz Erhard Walther 1966 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 28 13/16 x 86 3/8" (73.2 x ... German 1060.2010.13
Shortly Before Twilight 75%

Shortly Before Twilight

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Shortly Before Twilight 75% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 17 11/16" (45 cm) High. 9 l... German 1060.2010.32
Opposite 75%

Opposite

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Opposite 75% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture Each (Cloth mat): 95 5/8 x ... German 1060.2010.28
Three-Dimensional 75%

Three-Dimensional

Franz Erhard Walther

1969

Three-Dimensional 75% Franz Erhard Walther 1969 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 26 3/8 x 24' long (67.1 x 7... German 1060.2010.52
Eleven Meter Path 75%

Eleven Meter Path

Franz Erhard Walther

1964

Eleven Meter Path 75% Franz Erhard Walther 1964 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 21 5/8 x 433 1/16" (55 x 11... German 1060.2010.5
Gathering 75%

Gathering

Franz Erhard Walther

1966

Gathering 75% Franz Erhard Walther 1966 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 157 3/16 x 157 3/16" (399.3... German 1060.2010.20
Frame (Center) Ways 75%

Frame (Center) Ways

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Frame (Center) Ways 75% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 78 3/4 x 59 1/16" (200 x 15... German 1060.2010.38
With Direction (six) 75%

With Direction (six)

Franz Erhard Walther

1966

With Direction (six) 75% Franz Erhard Walther 1966 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 86 5/8 x 59 1/16" (220 x 15... German 1060.2010.16
Blind Object 74%

Blind Object

Franz Erhard Walther

1966

Blind Object 74% Franz Erhard Walther 1966 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 86 5/8 x 28 3/4" (220 x 73 cm) German 1060.2010.12
Covering 74%

Covering

Franz Erhard Walther

1964

Covering 74% Franz Erhard Walther 1964 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 82 11/16 x 43 5/16" (210 x ... German 1060.2010.3
Over Arm 74%

Over Arm

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Over Arm 74% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 202 3/4 x 8 11/16" (515 x 2... German 1060.2010.25
Collector, Mass and Distribution 74%

Collector, Mass and Distribution

Franz Erhard Walther

1966

Collector, Mass and Distribution 74% Franz Erhard Walther 1966 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 48 1/16" (122 cm) long German 1060.2010.15
50 x 50 m Cross 74%

50 x 50 m Cross

Franz Erhard Walther

1968

50 x 50 m Cross 74% Franz Erhard Walther 1968 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 196 7/8 x 196 7/8" (500 x 5... German 1060.2010.45
Work Drawing: Approach Sideways Steps 74%

Work Drawing: Approach Sideways Steps

Franz Erhard Walther

1968/1969

Work Drawing: Approach Sideways Steps 74% Franz Erhard Walther 1968/1969 Watercolor, ink, and pencil on paper Drawing Drawings & Prints German 41.2011.47.a-b
Four Sides   Four Fields 73%

Four Sides Four Fields

Franz Erhard Walther

1967

Four Sides Four Fields 73% Franz Erhard Walther 1967 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 62 5/8 x 44 1/2" (159 x 113... German 1060.2010.27
Pedestal, Four Regions 73%

Pedestal, Four Regions

Franz Erhard Walther

1969

Pedestal, Four Regions 73% Franz Erhard Walther 1969 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 15 x 88 3/16 x 88 3/16" (38... German 1060.2010.49
Distance    Weight    Shape 73%

Distance Weight Shape

Franz Erhard Walther

1968

Distance Weight Shape 73% Franz Erhard Walther 1968 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture Component (Sack): 19 11/16 ... German 1060.2010.44
Walking Piece, Pedestal 73%

Walking Piece, Pedestal

Franz Erhard Walther

1963-64

Walking Piece, Pedestal 73% Franz Erhard Walther 1963-64 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 3 15/16 x 35 7/16 x 23 5/8"... German 1060.2010.2
Cloth Tube 73%

Cloth Tube

Franz Erhard Walther

1966

Cloth Tube 73% Franz Erhard Walther 1966 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture 472 7/16" (1200 cm) long tube German 1060.2010.17
Lines (Arms/Feet) 72%

Lines (Arms/Feet)

Franz Erhard Walther

1969

Lines (Arms/Feet) 72% Franz Erhard Walther 1969 Fabric Sculpture Painting & Sculpture Component: 35 13/16 x 14 3/... German 1060.2010.56