Niki de St Phalle La Force Mixed Media Dragon Sculpture 1973 Edition of 7

Artist: Niki de Saint Phalle
Title:  La Force
Medium: Mixed Media - Painted Polyester Resin, Metal
Edition: 1/7
Size: 5.5"h x 14.5"w x 7"d
Year: 1973
Inscription: Numbered in bottom '1/7'
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity

Created in 1973, "La Force" exemplifies Niki de Saint Phalle's exploration of symbolic figuration through vividly colored sculptural form. Executed in painted polyester resin over a metal armature, the work depicts a stylized female figure connected by a chain to a dragon-like mythical creature. This pairing reflects the artist's sustained engagement with myth, psychology, and archetypal imagery—central themes in her practice during the 1960s and 1970s.

The female figure, defined by simplified anatomy and decorative surface patterning, relates formally to Saint Phalle's celebrated Nana sculptures, which reimagined representations of women through bold color, assertive presence, and graphic design. The dragon, rendered with playful exaggeration and saturated hues, introduces a narrative and symbolic dimension. The title, "La Force" ("Strength"), suggests an allegorical framework in which power may be understood as emotional, spiritual, or relational rather than purely physical. The chain linking the two figures establishes a visual and conceptual tension that invites open interpretation.

Saint Phalle's use of industrial materials and high-key color aligns with her broader aim of accessibility and visual immediacy. This editioned sculpture demonstrates her ability to merge playfulness, symbolism, and formal clarity within a distinctive postwar sculptural vocabulary.

"La Force" was created in 1973 and is executed in painted polyester resin with metal elements. The sculpture measures 5.5 × 14.5 × 7 inches and is from a limited edition of 7, this example numbered 1/7. The edition number is inscribed on the underside. The work is accompanied by a Gallery Certificate of Authenticity.

About Niki de Saint Phalle

Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002) was a French-American artist recognized as a major figure in postwar contemporary art, known for her monumental sculptures, painted reliefs, and interdisciplinary practice. Her work spans sculpture, painting, performance, film, and public art, and is widely associated with the Nouveau Realisme movement as well as the development of feminist perspectives in twentieth-century art.

Born Catherine Marie-Agnès Fal de Saint Phalle in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, she was raised between Europe and the United States. Largely self-taught, she began making art in the 1950s and gained international recognition in the early 1960s with her Tirs (Shooting Paintings)—assemblages embedded with paint-filled packets that she and collaborators punctured during live actions, allowing pigment to spill across the surface. These works emphasized process, chance, and performative destruction while challenging traditional notions of authorship and image-making.

In the mid-1960s, Saint Phalle introduced her iconic Nanas, a series of brightly colored, exuberant female figures characterized by rounded forms and dynamic poses. These sculptures, produced in both intimate and monumental scales, redefined representations of the female body in art and became central to her international reputation. Their bold palette and playful visual language made them especially significant within public art contexts.

Saint Phalle realized numerous large-scale architectural and environmental projects. Among the most notable is the Tarot Garden (Il Giardino dei Tarocchi) in Tuscany, an immersive sculpture park inspired by the tarot's Major Arcana, developed over several decades. She also collaborated extensively with Swiss artist Jean Tinguely on kinetic and sculptural installations that merged mechanical elements with fantastical imagery.

Her work addresses themes including gender, mythology, social justice, and spirituality, often through vivid color, accessible forms, and monumental scale. Niki de Saint Phalle's art is held in major museum collections worldwide, and her public sculptures remain enduring landmarks. She spent her later years in California, where she continued to work until her death in 2002.