First Lady Melania Trump is pleased to announce the installation of Floor Frame (1962), by Isamu Noguchi (1904-88). The sculpture will be located on the east terrace of the iconic White House Rose Garden.
Isamu Noguchi will be the first Asian American artist to be represented in the White House collection. He viewed Floor Frame as the intersection of a tree and the ground, taking on the qualities of both an implied root system and the canopy of a tree. In order to reconnect viewers to the planet, he envisioned the sculpture placed directly on the ground. The sculpture placement on the terrace in the Rose Garden allows visitors to happen upon it, giving it a found quality. While powerful in its own right, Floor Fame is humble in scale, and compliments the authority of the Oval Office.
“I am excited to announce the installation of Floor Frame to the newly restored White House Rose Garden,” said First Lady Melania Trump. “This sculpture not only showcases diversity within our Nation’s finest art but it also highlights the beautiful contributions of Asian American artists to the landscape of our country.”
Floor Frame was gifted to the White House by the White House Historical Association in March of 2020.
