Upstairs, Downstairs and In Between

Arthur Espenet Carpenter, Staircase, 1969, 

Hyedua and Oak, 

Sight 192 x 84 in. (487.7 x 213.4 cm)

This graceful structure by Arthur Espenet Carpenter comprises fourteen curved, interlocking steps radiating around a center post. As Carpenter intended, the intrinsic warmth of the wood and the organic forms encourage interaction along multiple fronts, including movement up and down the steps and pushing and pulling the propeller-like treads. 

It is a staircase for imagining: the spiral steps mimic curved forms of nature, pushing against the grain of right angles and square rooms.

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David L. Davies and Jack Weeden, 1998.15A-S