Vintage Modernist Abraham Palatnik Lucite Mallard Duck Figurine 1960s

This item is a vintage Abraham Palatnik Brazilian Lucite acrylic mallard duck figurine from the mid-century modern period. It measures 5 inches tall and just under 7 inches long.
Artist: Abraham Palatnik (Brazilian, 1928–2020).
Style: Op Art (Optical Art).
Material: Lucite/Acrylic resin.
Features: Abstract geometric pattern
Dates to 1960s.

Born in the city of Natal, Northeastern Brazil, Abraham Palatnik moved to Israel as a child. There he studied mechanics, physics and developed the typical qualities of an inventor.

In the late 1940s, he began studies in the field of light and movement, which resulted in the Aparelho Cinecromático, exhibited in 1951 at the 1st International Biennial of São Paulo, where he received an honourable mention from the international jury.

From 1964 he develops the Objetos Cinéticos, an unfolding of the cinecromático, showing the internal mechanism of operation and suppressing the projection of light. Mathematical rigor is a constant in his work, acting as an important resource for spatial ordering. He is considered internationally one of the pioneers of kinetic art.