U.S. Citizenship: Race / Class / Gender
English 332, AMCULT 103, AMCULT 300, ALA 270
Dana Nichols (English Language and Literature), Kristin Hass (American Culture), Sigrid Anderson (University Library; English Language and Literature), and Stephanie Hicks (Program on Intergroup Relations)
On view: Winter 2023
Doug Webb, Liberty Renewed, circa 1985, serigraph on paper, 28 13/16 in. x 37 in. ( 73.2 cm x 94 cm ), Gift of Jack A. and Noreen Rounick
The artworks selected for this display explore the ways race, gender, and class intersect around ideas of United States citizenship. Each artist leans into the power of visual art to produce multiple, complex meanings that invite us to consider the ideological and political processes that have defined who is in and who is out, and to rank the citizenship of some people’s identities higher than those of others.
Classes that consider the politics of citizenship and immigration constitute a significant portion of UMMA’s work with learning at the university. Here we have combined what we have been doing with those classes into a single display. We selected some of the artworks that have propelled the most rich and engaging discussions over the years and combined them with a new acquisition, Sonya Clark’s Whitewashed.
Works included in this collection
Accession Number
2000/2.14.31
Title
Fifty Nine Varieties of Paradise
Artist(s)
Sir Eduardo Paolozzi
Artist Nationality
British (modern)
Object Creation Date
1965 - 1970
Medium & Support
photolithograph on paper
Dimensions
14 15/16 in x 10 in (37.94 cm x 25.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Professor Diane M. Kirkpatrick
Subject matter
Like many of his contemporaries, Paolozzi used new printing techniques as a way to engage with modern mass media's new visual culture. At the same time, the photomechanical process made the work look mechanically manufactured rather than hand made, in the traditional artistic sense. Therefore, when he modified, transformed, assemped the source image(s), the medium would allow for a more uniform final image.
This print is one of a large series of 50 prints included in the 1970 portfolio, which was a second edition of the an earlier group of slightly larger prints titled "Moonstrips Empire News." While the first series was strictly produced as screenprints, this second series "General Dynamic F.U.N." includes works of photolithography, like this one. The themes seen in this portfolio are different in style and subject matter from other Pop works of the period, but engage with the images of a modern mass media, looking beyond just advertising and publicity images. Likewise, the title of the portfolio alludes to the General Dynamics Corporation, who was the manufacturer of the F-111 fighter used during the Vietnam War—the same one referenced in James Rosenquist monumental painting "F-111."
As the title alludes, the promise of paradise in American, symbolized by the Statue of Liberty, is at play in this work. The shiny consumer goods and iconic imagery are juxtaposed with the deadpan monochromatic composition to create a satirical look at the American Dream. The screws and nuts in the lower image, likely from a purchasing catalog, and the motorcycle above point to the adherence to material goods in the pursuit of such a dream; a dream that the little boy in the crown in Lady Liberty might still believe in.
Physical Description
This print has three main images all printed in a monochromatic grey. At the top is an image of a man, in a tweed coat and fur hat, polishing a motorcycle. The scene is from a pier. The sign says "GANGWAY 1," with the ocean and the Statue of Liberty in the background. The central image is a detail of the face of the Statue of Liberty, with a small boy visible in her crown. The bottom image is more abstracted shapes from a dot-matrix image.
Primary Object Classification
Print
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
2000/2.14.31
Title
Fifty Nine Varieties of Paradise
Artist(s)
Sir Eduardo Paolozzi
Artist Nationality
British (modern)
Object Creation Date
1965 - 1970
Medium & Support
photolithograph on paper
Dimensions
14 15/16 in x 10 in (37.94 cm x 25.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Professor Diane M. Kirkpatrick
Subject matter
Like many of his contemporaries, Paolozzi used new printing techniques as a way to engage with modern mass media's new visual culture. At the same time, the photomechanical process made the work look mechanically manufactured rather than hand made, in the traditional artistic sense. Therefore, when he modified, transformed, assemped the source image(s), the medium would allow for a more uniform final image.
This print is one of a large series of 50 prints included in the 1970 portfolio, which was a second edition of the an earlier group of slightly larger prints titled "Moonstrips Empire News." While the first series was strictly produced as screenprints, this second series "General Dynamic F.U.N." includes works of photolithography, like this one. The themes seen in this portfolio are different in style and subject matter from other Pop works of the period, but engage with the images of a modern mass media, looking beyond just advertising and publicity images. Likewise, the title of the portfolio alludes to the General Dynamics Corporation, who was the manufacturer of the F-111 fighter used during the Vietnam War—the same one referenced in James Rosenquist monumental painting "F-111."
As the title alludes, the promise of paradise in American, symbolized by the Statue of Liberty, is at play in this work. The shiny consumer goods and iconic imagery are juxtaposed with the deadpan monochromatic composition to create a satirical look at the American Dream. The screws and nuts in the lower image, likely from a purchasing catalog, and the motorcycle above point to the adherence to material goods in the pursuit of such a dream; a dream that the little boy in the crown in Lady Liberty might still believe in.
Physical Description
This print has three main images all printed in a monochromatic grey. At the top is an image of a man, in a tweed coat and fur hat, polishing a motorcycle. The scene is from a pier. The sign says "GANGWAY 1," with the ocean and the Statue of Liberty in the background. The central image is a detail of the face of the Statue of Liberty, with a small boy visible in her crown. The bottom image is more abstracted shapes from a dot-matrix image.
Primary Object Classification
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Sir Eduardo Paolozzi
Fifty Nine Varieties of Paradise
photolithograph on paper
14 15/16 in x 10 in (37.94 cm x 25.4 cm)
Gift of Professor Diane M. Kirkpatrick
Fifty Nine Varieties of Paradise
photolithograph on paper
14 15/16 in x 10 in (37.94 cm x 25.4 cm)
Gift of Professor Diane M. Kirkpatrick
Accession Number
1943.2
Title
My Father Reminisces
Artist(s)
Ida Abelman
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1937
Medium & Support
lithograph on paper
Dimensions
14 9/16 in x 18 7/16 in (36.99 cm x 46.83 cm)
Credit Line
Allocated by the U.S. Government Commissioned through the New Deal art projects
Subject matter
Ida Abelman was an artist employed by the WPA. This print tells a story from left to right of immigrants to New York and the title implies that it comes from the memories of her father. Starting on the left, immigrants arrive in New York City by boat only to be exploited by the garment factories. The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union is formed, there is a successful strike, the Triangle Shirtwaist fire burns, and the Statue of Liberty only has a faint presence in the scene. The sewing machine in the foreground of the print closes in on the piece workers who were struggling to make a living.
Physical Description
Around and behind a central image of a sewing machine are overlapping images of people, ships, a building fire, the Statue of Liberty, and small blocks of text.
Primary Object Classification
Print
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
1943.2
Title
My Father Reminisces
Artist(s)
Ida Abelman
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1937
Medium & Support
lithograph on paper
Dimensions
14 9/16 in x 18 7/16 in (36.99 cm x 46.83 cm)
Credit Line
Allocated by the U.S. Government Commissioned through the New Deal art projects
Subject matter
Ida Abelman was an artist employed by the WPA. This print tells a story from left to right of immigrants to New York and the title implies that it comes from the memories of her father. Starting on the left, immigrants arrive in New York City by boat only to be exploited by the garment factories. The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union is formed, there is a successful strike, the Triangle Shirtwaist fire burns, and the Statue of Liberty only has a faint presence in the scene. The sewing machine in the foreground of the print closes in on the piece workers who were struggling to make a living.
Physical Description
Around and behind a central image of a sewing machine are overlapping images of people, ships, a building fire, the Statue of Liberty, and small blocks of text.
Primary Object Classification
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Ida Abelman
My Father Reminisces
lithograph on paper
14 9/16 in x 18 7/16 in (36.99 cm x 46.83 cm)
Allocated by the U.S. Government Commissioned through the New Deal art projects
My Father Reminisces
lithograph on paper
14 9/16 in x 18 7/16 in (36.99 cm x 46.83 cm)
Allocated by the U.S. Government Commissioned through the New Deal art projects
Accession Number
2013/2.310
Title
Untitled (Paint Cans)
Artist(s)
Tyree Guyton
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1980-2010
Medium & Support
paint cans, wooden crate, American flag, rearview mirror, and ceramic figurine
Dimensions
33 1/2 in x 28 1/8 in x 12 in (85.09 cm x 71.44 cm x 30.48 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of H. David Zucca
Subject matter
African American artist, Tyree Guyton, uses found and recycled objects in his neighborhood installations and standalone sculptures. These paint cans may have been saved from the house paint that he used in the Heidleberg Project. Guyton regularly incorporates American flags into his work, including his "American Flag Series, Untitled (bird cage, re-lynching)." Guyton frequently uses his art to comment on America's troubled past, as well as current social and political issues that he observes.
Physical Description
A "Norton Abrasives" wooden crate is filled with empty rusted gallon paint containers with dried paint inside. A cracked rearview mirror is attached to one side and an American flag is smushed into one side of the box. A small toy platypus sits inside one of the paint cans, although the platypus is moveable; instructions to museum state that museum staff can place platypus where they please.
Primary Object Classification
Sculpture
Primary Object Type
assemblage
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
2013/2.310
Title
Untitled (Paint Cans)
Artist(s)
Tyree Guyton
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1980-2010
Medium & Support
paint cans, wooden crate, American flag, rearview mirror, and ceramic figurine
Dimensions
33 1/2 in x 28 1/8 in x 12 in (85.09 cm x 71.44 cm x 30.48 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of H. David Zucca
Subject matter
African American artist, Tyree Guyton, uses found and recycled objects in his neighborhood installations and standalone sculptures. These paint cans may have been saved from the house paint that he used in the Heidleberg Project. Guyton regularly incorporates American flags into his work, including his "American Flag Series, Untitled (bird cage, re-lynching)." Guyton frequently uses his art to comment on America's troubled past, as well as current social and political issues that he observes.
Physical Description
A "Norton Abrasives" wooden crate is filled with empty rusted gallon paint containers with dried paint inside. A cracked rearview mirror is attached to one side and an American flag is smushed into one side of the box. A small toy platypus sits inside one of the paint cans, although the platypus is moveable; instructions to museum state that museum staff can place platypus where they please.
Primary Object Classification
Sculpture
Primary Object Type
assemblage
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Tyree Guyton
Untitled (Paint Cans)
paint cans, wooden crate, American flag, rearview mirror, and ceramic figurine
33 1/2 in x 28 1/8 in x 12 in (85.09 cm x 71.44 cm x 30.48 cm)
Gift of H. David Zucca
Untitled (Paint Cans)
paint cans, wooden crate, American flag, rearview mirror, and ceramic figurine
33 1/2 in x 28 1/8 in x 12 in (85.09 cm x 71.44 cm x 30.48 cm)
Gift of H. David Zucca
Accession Number
2004/1.153
Title
Michigan Worker
Artist(s)
George Vargas
Object Creation Date
1985
Medium & Support
welding goggles, metal, hanging bells, rusty bottle cap, pulleys, chains, and padlock mounted on plywood
Dimensions
20 7/8 in x 10 3/8 in x 2 9/16 in (53.02 cm x 26.35 cm x 6.51 cm);20 7/8 in x 10 3/8 in x 2 9/16 in (53.02 cm x 26.35 cm x 6.51 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Subject matter
Created when Vargas was a student at the University of Michigan, “Michigan Worker” draws on the tradition of the found object and junk art, as well as a figurative tradition, which he evokes by using industrial materials representing the working class Michigan automotive worker.
Physical Description
A mixed media assemblage consisting of welding goggles, rusted metal, a padlock, and two rusted bells hanging from a chain mounted on a wooden board with screws. The position of the objects, with goggles at the top, makes the assemblage look vaguely face-like.
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
found object
Additional Object Classification(s)
Mixed Media
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
2004/1.153
Title
Michigan Worker
Artist(s)
George Vargas
Object Creation Date
1985
Medium & Support
welding goggles, metal, hanging bells, rusty bottle cap, pulleys, chains, and padlock mounted on plywood
Dimensions
20 7/8 in x 10 3/8 in x 2 9/16 in (53.02 cm x 26.35 cm x 6.51 cm);20 7/8 in x 10 3/8 in x 2 9/16 in (53.02 cm x 26.35 cm x 6.51 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Subject matter
Created when Vargas was a student at the University of Michigan, “Michigan Worker” draws on the tradition of the found object and junk art, as well as a figurative tradition, which he evokes by using industrial materials representing the working class Michigan automotive worker.
Physical Description
A mixed media assemblage consisting of welding goggles, rusted metal, a padlock, and two rusted bells hanging from a chain mounted on a wooden board with screws. The position of the objects, with goggles at the top, makes the assemblage look vaguely face-like.
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
found object
Additional Object Classification(s)
Mixed Media
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
George Vargas
Michigan Worker
welding goggles, metal, hanging bells, rusty bottle cap, pulleys, chains, and padlock mounted on plywood
20 7/8 in x 10 3/8 in x 2 9/16 in (53.02 cm x 26.35 cm x 6.51 cm);20 7/8 in x 10 3/8 in x 2 9/16 in (53.02 cm x 26.35 cm x 6.51 cm)
Gift of the artist
Michigan Worker
welding goggles, metal, hanging bells, rusty bottle cap, pulleys, chains, and padlock mounted on plywood
20 7/8 in x 10 3/8 in x 2 9/16 in (53.02 cm x 26.35 cm x 6.51 cm);20 7/8 in x 10 3/8 in x 2 9/16 in (53.02 cm x 26.35 cm x 6.51 cm)
Gift of the artist
Accession Number
2004/1.106
Title
Japanese Children's Day Carp Banners, Paguate Village, Jackpile Mine Uranium Tailings, Laguna Pueblo Reservation, New Mexico
Artist(s)
Patrick Nagatani
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1990
Medium & Support
dye destruction print on paper
Dimensions
16 ⅛ in x 20 1/16 in (40.96 cm x 50.96 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Beverly Baker in memory of Morris D. Baker
Subject matter
This photograph of the Laguna Pueblo Reservation has a copy of the carp streamers from a woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige printed on the top. The Hiroshige print is from 1857 and is titled Suido Bridge and Surrugadai, No. 48 from the series, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. It shows the same carp streamers seen in Nagatani's print flying on Japanese Children's Day which takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month. The carp are a symbol of life and are used for the special day that celebrates for the life of boys ages six and seven. In the background of Nagatani's print is a cemetery at the Laguna Pueblo Reservation, directly contradicting the celebration of life that the carp symbolize. From 1953-1982 uranium was mined from the area leaving it contaminated and polluting the residents and their land. Nagatani created the series Nuclear Enchantment with the hope of bringing attention to the devastation that nuclear energy and weaponry can bring. The two other carp that are visible in the background are diminishing in size compared to the first one that dominates the scene, which could indicate that the celebration of life symbolized by the carp is also diminishing. Nagatani views the Native Americans that live on the Laguna Pueblo Reservation as both victims of the contamination and as victimizers of the government since they benefitted monetarily from the clean-up process.
References:
Nagatani, Patrick. A Hot Iron Ball He Can Neither Swallow Nor Spit Out: Patricka Nagatani, Nuclear Fear, and the Uses of Enchantment. Edited by Eugenia Parry Janis. (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1991). 36-37.
Nagatani, Patrick. Nuclear Enchantment. http://www.patricknagatani.com/
Physical Description
This photograph depicts a view of a desert landscape with a fish hanging from the top of a thin pole in the foreground. Behind the fish is a small cemetery that has mounds and crosses and in the distance are a few small buildings. Two more poles with fish hanging from them appear farther away in the image to the right of the fish in the foreground.
Primary Object Classification
Photograph
Collection Area
Photography
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
2004/1.106
Title
Japanese Children's Day Carp Banners, Paguate Village, Jackpile Mine Uranium Tailings, Laguna Pueblo Reservation, New Mexico
Artist(s)
Patrick Nagatani
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1990
Medium & Support
dye destruction print on paper
Dimensions
16 ⅛ in x 20 1/16 in (40.96 cm x 50.96 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Beverly Baker in memory of Morris D. Baker
Subject matter
This photograph of the Laguna Pueblo Reservation has a copy of the carp streamers from a woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige printed on the top. The Hiroshige print is from 1857 and is titled Suido Bridge and Surrugadai, No. 48 from the series, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. It shows the same carp streamers seen in Nagatani's print flying on Japanese Children's Day which takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month. The carp are a symbol of life and are used for the special day that celebrates for the life of boys ages six and seven. In the background of Nagatani's print is a cemetery at the Laguna Pueblo Reservation, directly contradicting the celebration of life that the carp symbolize. From 1953-1982 uranium was mined from the area leaving it contaminated and polluting the residents and their land. Nagatani created the series Nuclear Enchantment with the hope of bringing attention to the devastation that nuclear energy and weaponry can bring. The two other carp that are visible in the background are diminishing in size compared to the first one that dominates the scene, which could indicate that the celebration of life symbolized by the carp is also diminishing. Nagatani views the Native Americans that live on the Laguna Pueblo Reservation as both victims of the contamination and as victimizers of the government since they benefitted monetarily from the clean-up process.
References:
Nagatani, Patrick. A Hot Iron Ball He Can Neither Swallow Nor Spit Out: Patricka Nagatani, Nuclear Fear, and the Uses of Enchantment. Edited by Eugenia Parry Janis. (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1991). 36-37.
Nagatani, Patrick. Nuclear Enchantment. http://www.patricknagatani.com/
Physical Description
This photograph depicts a view of a desert landscape with a fish hanging from the top of a thin pole in the foreground. Behind the fish is a small cemetery that has mounds and crosses and in the distance are a few small buildings. Two more poles with fish hanging from them appear farther away in the image to the right of the fish in the foreground.
Primary Object Classification
Photograph
Collection Area
Photography
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Patrick Nagatani
Japanese Children's Day Carp Banners, Paguate Village, Jackpile Mine Uranium Tailings, Laguna Pueblo Reservation, New Mexico
dye destruction print on paper
16 ⅛ in x 20 1/16 in (40.96 cm x 50.96 cm)
Gift of Beverly Baker in memory of Morris D. Baker
Japanese Children's Day Carp Banners, Paguate Village, Jackpile Mine Uranium Tailings, Laguna Pueblo Reservation, New Mexico
dye destruction print on paper
16 ⅛ in x 20 1/16 in (40.96 cm x 50.96 cm)
Gift of Beverly Baker in memory of Morris D. Baker
Accession Number
2016/2.158
Title
Old and New Flags
Artist(s)
Joanne Leonard
Object Creation Date
2012
Medium & Support
inkjet print on paper
Dimensions
24 in x 36 in (60.96 cm x 91.44 cm);20 3/4 in x 31 in (52.71 cm x 78.74 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Subject matter
The text accompanying the image reads: November 18, 2012, news photo: American flags were being sewn at a roadside shop in Yangon, Myanmar, before President Obama's arrival, Gemuno Amarasingche, Associated Press. Book reproduction: Thirty-six-star flag, c. 1865, "Eyes of the Nation: A Visual History of the United States," Vincent Virga and curators, Library of Congress, Portland House, 1997.
Physical Description
Image of a book lying open to a page featuring an image of the American flag. A newsclipping featuring a photo of a flag manufacturing company lies on the book across the open page.
Primary Object Classification
Photograph
Primary Object Type
color
Collection Area
Photography
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
2016/2.158
Title
Old and New Flags
Artist(s)
Joanne Leonard
Object Creation Date
2012
Medium & Support
inkjet print on paper
Dimensions
24 in x 36 in (60.96 cm x 91.44 cm);20 3/4 in x 31 in (52.71 cm x 78.74 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Subject matter
The text accompanying the image reads: November 18, 2012, news photo: American flags were being sewn at a roadside shop in Yangon, Myanmar, before President Obama's arrival, Gemuno Amarasingche, Associated Press. Book reproduction: Thirty-six-star flag, c. 1865, "Eyes of the Nation: A Visual History of the United States," Vincent Virga and curators, Library of Congress, Portland House, 1997.
Physical Description
Image of a book lying open to a page featuring an image of the American flag. A newsclipping featuring a photo of a flag manufacturing company lies on the book across the open page.
Primary Object Classification
Photograph
Primary Object Type
color
Collection Area
Photography
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Joanne Leonard
Old and New Flags
inkjet print on paper
24 in x 36 in (60.96 cm x 91.44 cm);20 3/4 in x 31 in (52.71 cm x 78.74 cm)
Gift of the artist
Old and New Flags
inkjet print on paper
24 in x 36 in (60.96 cm x 91.44 cm);20 3/4 in x 31 in (52.71 cm x 78.74 cm)
Gift of the artist
Other courses in Curriculum / Collection
Exhibition Support
Lead support for this exhibition is provided by the University of Michigan Office of the Provost, Erica Gervais Pappendick and Ted Pappendick, the Eleanor Noyes Crumpacker Endowment Fund, and the Oakriver Foundation.