Collection Ensemble
Collection Ensemble
Ongoing
Extraordinary Artists, Startling Works of Art, Put in Dialog For You To Discover
Collection Ensemble presents the first major reinstallation of UMMA's iconic entry space in over a decade. It exchanges Alumni Memorial Hall's previous focus on European and American painting for a broad mix of American, European, African, and Asian art from across media, sampling the Museum's remarkable, disparate holdings.
The installation is organized into thematic and formal vignettes that respond to the concepts and ideas resonating from an extraordinary large-scale photograph of a vacant cathedral by contemporary German artist Candida Höfer. The exhibition displays more than 40 works by famous and not so famous artists, many of them artists of color and women –including Charles Alston, Khaled al-Saa'i, Norio Azuma, Christo, Theaster Gates, Jenny Holzer, Roni Horn, Dinh Q Lê, and Kara Walker.
The reinstallation in the iconic and beloved museum’s space is emblematic of the re-thinking of the role of UMMA on campus. The goal is to tell a more expansive and mutable history of art, one that shows that art has powerful connections across media, politics, and culture. As a campus museum, UMMA is a vital hub for new ideas and exchanges. This exhibition recasts the role of UMMA’s collection as an active, creative, surprising source of material and ideas, open for debate and interpretation.
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Museums on campus should be bursting with new thinking, debates, and connections. They should remind you how exciting and surprising art is.
Christina Olsen, UMMA Director
Nine Vignettes
The works in Collection Ensemble are organized in nine groups or vignettes, each sharing a subject — water, or the cosmos— but little else. The works vary in material, point of view, and purpose. Juxtaposed this way, these arrangements remind us that works of art can change in meaning and affect when placed next to different things. Explore the nine groupings below and find new connections of your own.
Al Loving, Untitled Cube, 1969.
Acrylic on canvas. Museum Purchase, 1969/2.25.
Courtesy the Estate of Al Loving and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York
Entrancing
Accession Number
1931.17
Title
Flora
Artist(s)
Richard James Wyatt
Object Creation Date
1850
Medium & Support
marble
Dimensions
59 1/2 in x 22 in x 22 in (151.13 cm x 55.88 cm x 55.88 cm);59 1/2 in x 22 in x 22 in (151.13 cm x 55.88 cm x 55.88 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Albert M. Todd
Label copy
March 28, 2009
By the beginning of the nineteenth century there was an enormous increase in the demand for gallery sculpture (works created for public display in their own right rather than to decorate architecture or gardens) and Wyatt, like many sculptors of his time, moved to Rome—the epicenter of the neoclassical revival—to train in the techniques of the classical masters. He soon became a much sought after sculptor, and his statues were eagerly collected.
Wyatt was known as a virtuoso carver and was celebrated for his ability to portray the female form. His statue of Flora is skillfully composed with painstaking attention to detail and texture; the highly finished surface creates a soft, warm effect for which the artist was renowned. In Roman myth, Flora was the goddess of the spring and had authority over flowers, grain, and fruit; here she is seen with a basket of flowers—the symbol of her domain—at her feet. Her left hand holds the corner of her drapery, which falls away to reveal her naked form.
Wyatt had just completed Flora at the time of his death. An obituary writer described seeing it in his studio only days before and admiring “the last touches which his graceful chisel had given to the finished statue of Flora, on which he had been for some time engaged.”
Subject matter
Flora, the goddess of flowers from Roman mythology, reflects the popularity of Neo-classical taste during the mid-19th century.
Physical Description
White marble sculpture of female figure, partially nude with a cloth draped loosely around her waist and over her left forearm. She holds a cluster of flowers in her left hand, and a single bloom in her right; a basket of flowers located on base to left and slightly behind figure.
Primary Object Classification
Sculpture
Primary Object Type
statue
Additional Object Classification(s)
Sculpture
Collection Area
Western
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.
1931.17
Title
Flora
Artist(s)
Richard James Wyatt
Object Creation Date
1850
Medium & Support
marble
Dimensions
59 1/2 in x 22 in x 22 in (151.13 cm x 55.88 cm x 55.88 cm);59 1/2 in x 22 in x 22 in (151.13 cm x 55.88 cm x 55.88 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Albert M. Todd
Label copy
March 28, 2009
By the beginning of the nineteenth century there was an enormous increase in the demand for gallery sculpture (works created for public display in their own right rather than to decorate architecture or gardens) and Wyatt, like many sculptors of his time, moved to Rome—the epicenter of the neoclassical revival—to train in the techniques of the classical masters. He soon became a much sought after sculptor, and his statues were eagerly collected.
Wyatt was known as a virtuoso carver and was celebrated for his ability to portray the female form. His statue of Flora is skillfully composed with painstaking attention to detail and texture; the highly finished surface creates a soft, warm effect for which the artist was renowned. In Roman myth, Flora was the goddess of the spring and had authority over flowers, grain, and fruit; here she is seen with a basket of flowers—the symbol of her domain—at her feet. Her left hand holds the corner of her drapery, which falls away to reveal her naked form.
Wyatt had just completed Flora at the time of his death. An obituary writer described seeing it in his studio only days before and admiring “the last touches which his graceful chisel had given to the finished statue of Flora, on which he had been for some time engaged.”
Subject matter
Flora, the goddess of flowers from Roman mythology, reflects the popularity of Neo-classical taste during the mid-19th century.
Physical Description
White marble sculpture of female figure, partially nude with a cloth draped loosely around her waist and over her left forearm. She holds a cluster of flowers in her left hand, and a single bloom in her right; a basket of flowers located on base to left and slightly behind figure.
Primary Object Classification
Sculpture
Primary Object Type
statue
Additional Object Classification(s)
Sculpture
Collection Area
Western
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.
Richard James Wyatt
Flora
marble
59 1/2 in x 22 in x 22 in (151.13 cm x 55.88 cm x 55.88 cm);59 1/2 in x 22 in x 22 in (151.13 cm x 55.88 cm x 55.88 cm)
Gift of Albert M. Todd
Flora
marble
59 1/2 in x 22 in x 22 in (151.13 cm x 55.88 cm x 55.88 cm);59 1/2 in x 22 in x 22 in (151.13 cm x 55.88 cm x 55.88 cm)
Gift of Albert M. Todd
Accession Number
2007/2.15
Title
Basílica do Palácio Nacional de Mafra
Artist(s)
Candida Höfer
Object Creation Date
2006
Medium & Support
chromogenic color print on paper
Dimensions
100 3/8 in x 80 5/8 in x 2 1/8 in (254.95 cm x 204.79 cm x 5.4 cm);100 3/8 in x 80 5/8 in x 2 1/8 in (254.95 cm x 204.79 cm x 5.4 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
Label copy
March 28, 2009
I photograph in public and semi-public spaces that date from various epochs. These are spaces available to everyone. They are places where you can meet and communicate, where you can share or receive knowledge, where you can relax and recover.
—Candida Höfer
Höfer photographs interiors from all over the world: theaters, museums, libraries, and cathedrals. Her primary interest lies not in the location or function of the buildings that are her subjects, but in the spaces they enclose. Empty and vast, these are completely devoid of human presence, yet filled with quiet grandeur.
In this photograph of the cathedral at Mafra National Palace in Portugal, Höfer creates an atmosphere of ethereal stillness by desaturating the composition—leaving the warm rose-colored marble muted and pale—while infusing the space with pure white light. Through this choreography of nuanced color and light, along with a high vanishing point and an emphasis on symmetry, Höfer constructs a rigorously ordered composition that has a monumentality similar to that of the structure itself.
Subject matter
Pictured here is the apse of the basilica at Mafra Palace on the Lisbon coast of Portugal. The Baroque and Italianate neoclassical palace-monastery was built in 1717, and served the royal family through the eighteenth century. It is now a museum.
Physical Description
chromogenic print
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.
2007/2.15
Title
Basílica do Palácio Nacional de Mafra
Artist(s)
Candida Höfer
Object Creation Date
2006
Medium & Support
chromogenic color print on paper
Dimensions
100 3/8 in x 80 5/8 in x 2 1/8 in (254.95 cm x 204.79 cm x 5.4 cm);100 3/8 in x 80 5/8 in x 2 1/8 in (254.95 cm x 204.79 cm x 5.4 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
Label copy
March 28, 2009
I photograph in public and semi-public spaces that date from various epochs. These are spaces available to everyone. They are places where you can meet and communicate, where you can share or receive knowledge, where you can relax and recover.
—Candida Höfer
Höfer photographs interiors from all over the world: theaters, museums, libraries, and cathedrals. Her primary interest lies not in the location or function of the buildings that are her subjects, but in the spaces they enclose. Empty and vast, these are completely devoid of human presence, yet filled with quiet grandeur.
In this photograph of the cathedral at Mafra National Palace in Portugal, Höfer creates an atmosphere of ethereal stillness by desaturating the composition—leaving the warm rose-colored marble muted and pale—while infusing the space with pure white light. Through this choreography of nuanced color and light, along with a high vanishing point and an emphasis on symmetry, Höfer constructs a rigorously ordered composition that has a monumentality similar to that of the structure itself.
Subject matter
Pictured here is the apse of the basilica at Mafra Palace on the Lisbon coast of Portugal. The Baroque and Italianate neoclassical palace-monastery was built in 1717, and served the royal family through the eighteenth century. It is now a museum.
Physical Description
chromogenic print
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.
Candida Höfer
Basílica do Palácio Nacional de Mafra
chromogenic color print on paper
100 3/8 in x 80 5/8 in x 2 1/8 in (254.95 cm x 204.79 cm x 5.4 cm);100 3/8 in x 80 5/8 in x 2 1/8 in (254.95 cm x 204.79 cm x 5.4 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
Basílica do Palácio Nacional de Mafra
chromogenic color print on paper
100 3/8 in x 80 5/8 in x 2 1/8 in (254.95 cm x 204.79 cm x 5.4 cm);100 3/8 in x 80 5/8 in x 2 1/8 in (254.95 cm x 204.79 cm x 5.4 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
Accession Number
1862.1
Title
Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii
Artist(s)
Randolph Rogers
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1861
Medium & Support
Carrara marble
Dimensions
56 1/2 in x 28 in x 37 1/2 in (143.51 cm x 71.12 cm x 95.25 cm);56 1/2 in x 28 in x 37 1/2 in (143.51 cm x 71.12 cm x 95.25 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Rogers Art Association
Label copy
March 28, 2009
Rogers’s Nydia, the Blind Girl of Pompeii was an immensely popular sculpture of the late nineteenth century. It was inspired by a character from Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s widely read 1834 novel, The Last Days of Pompeii, which tells the tragic story of Nydia, a blind slave girl. Nydia falls passionately in love with her owner, Glaucus, who, unbeknownst to her, is in love with another woman. When Mount Vesuvius erupts, Pompeii is enveloped in ash, that blocks out the sun and cloaks the city in darkness. Since Nydia is blind, she is still able to navigate the streets, and she guides Glaucus and his lover to the harbor, where all three find safety aboard a ship. When Nydia realizes that Glaucus’s heart belongs to another, she throws herself into the sea. Rogers pictures the dramatic moment when Nydia has become separated from her companions. She calls out to them, straining forward to listen for a reply; the staff is a reminder of her blindness, and the fallen capital at her feet and wet, clinging drapery suggest the danger of her situation. The story must have struck a chord with the public, for the sculpture was in such demand that Rogers reportedly received nearly one hundred requests for replicas; he completed 11 full-sized versions and 46 reductions.
Though Rogers was born in upstate New York and resided in Rome, he spent much of his childhood in Ann Arbor and considered it to be his hometown. Nydia was commissioned for the University in 1858 by a group formed for this purpose. The acquisition was so treasured that a special annex to University Hall was created to showcase the sculpture, one of the first in marble in the state.
Subject matter
Based on a character from Edward Bulwer-Lytton's popular 1834 novel, “The Last Days of Pompeii,” Nydia is a blind girl, who had been stolen and sold into slavery, and was bought by Glaucus, a Greek-born young man, to work in his garden in order to save her from the cruelty of her owner. Nydia mistook his act of kindness for fondness and fell passionately and uselessly in love with him, as he was in love with another woman. During the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Nydia saves Glaucus and his lover and guides them toward the sea where they find safety aboard a ship. The next morning Nydia throws herself into the sea, as she realizes there is no hope for a future with Glaucus, and becomes a symbol of feminine sacrifice and fidelity.
Physical Description
A white marble statue of a young female figure, leaning forward holding a staff with eyes closed, her left hand held up to her right ear. A flowing, wind-swept garment drapes the figure. On the base to the left of the figure is a broken capital of a Corinthian column lying on its side.
Primary Object Classification
Sculpture
Primary Object Type
statue
Additional Object Classification(s)
Sculpture
Collection Area
Western
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.
1862.1
Title
Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii
Artist(s)
Randolph Rogers
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1861
Medium & Support
Carrara marble
Dimensions
56 1/2 in x 28 in x 37 1/2 in (143.51 cm x 71.12 cm x 95.25 cm);56 1/2 in x 28 in x 37 1/2 in (143.51 cm x 71.12 cm x 95.25 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Rogers Art Association
Label copy
March 28, 2009
Rogers’s Nydia, the Blind Girl of Pompeii was an immensely popular sculpture of the late nineteenth century. It was inspired by a character from Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s widely read 1834 novel, The Last Days of Pompeii, which tells the tragic story of Nydia, a blind slave girl. Nydia falls passionately in love with her owner, Glaucus, who, unbeknownst to her, is in love with another woman. When Mount Vesuvius erupts, Pompeii is enveloped in ash, that blocks out the sun and cloaks the city in darkness. Since Nydia is blind, she is still able to navigate the streets, and she guides Glaucus and his lover to the harbor, where all three find safety aboard a ship. When Nydia realizes that Glaucus’s heart belongs to another, she throws herself into the sea. Rogers pictures the dramatic moment when Nydia has become separated from her companions. She calls out to them, straining forward to listen for a reply; the staff is a reminder of her blindness, and the fallen capital at her feet and wet, clinging drapery suggest the danger of her situation. The story must have struck a chord with the public, for the sculpture was in such demand that Rogers reportedly received nearly one hundred requests for replicas; he completed 11 full-sized versions and 46 reductions.
Though Rogers was born in upstate New York and resided in Rome, he spent much of his childhood in Ann Arbor and considered it to be his hometown. Nydia was commissioned for the University in 1858 by a group formed for this purpose. The acquisition was so treasured that a special annex to University Hall was created to showcase the sculpture, one of the first in marble in the state.
Subject matter
Based on a character from Edward Bulwer-Lytton's popular 1834 novel, “The Last Days of Pompeii,” Nydia is a blind girl, who had been stolen and sold into slavery, and was bought by Glaucus, a Greek-born young man, to work in his garden in order to save her from the cruelty of her owner. Nydia mistook his act of kindness for fondness and fell passionately and uselessly in love with him, as he was in love with another woman. During the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Nydia saves Glaucus and his lover and guides them toward the sea where they find safety aboard a ship. The next morning Nydia throws herself into the sea, as she realizes there is no hope for a future with Glaucus, and becomes a symbol of feminine sacrifice and fidelity.
Physical Description
A white marble statue of a young female figure, leaning forward holding a staff with eyes closed, her left hand held up to her right ear. A flowing, wind-swept garment drapes the figure. On the base to the left of the figure is a broken capital of a Corinthian column lying on its side.
Primary Object Classification
Sculpture
Primary Object Type
statue
Additional Object Classification(s)
Sculpture
Collection Area
Western
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.
Randolph Rogers
Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii
Carrara marble
56 1/2 in x 28 in x 37 1/2 in (143.51 cm x 71.12 cm x 95.25 cm);56 1/2 in x 28 in x 37 1/2 in (143.51 cm x 71.12 cm x 95.25 cm)
Gift of Rogers Art Association
Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii
Carrara marble
56 1/2 in x 28 in x 37 1/2 in (143.51 cm x 71.12 cm x 95.25 cm);56 1/2 in x 28 in x 37 1/2 in (143.51 cm x 71.12 cm x 95.25 cm)
Gift of Rogers Art Association
Void (2020)
Composer: Morgan Elder (Performing Arts Technology, BFA; 2023)
Read more about the Musical Labels projectThe Cosmos & Me
Accession Number
2011/2.1
Title
TSBC3
Artist(s)
Jordan Eagles
Object Creation Date
2011
Medium & Support
blood, copper preserved on Plexiglass, UV resin
Dimensions
35 7/8 x 35 7/8 x 4 1/8 in. (91.12 x 91.12 x 10.48 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Lillian Montalto and Robert M. Bohlen
Label copy
In Focus 2012
Jordan Eagles
New York-based multimedia artist Jordan Eagles has been painting with animal blood for fifteen years, refining a process to transform what is essentially biological waste into an extraordinary expressive tool. “Sometimes I think of myself as an alchemist,” the artist says, as he describes his ambition to bring a once-living substance back to life, and to develop a body of work that explores essential questions about life and death.
Eagles’s fascination with these questions began as a New York University student in the late 1990s. In his early art experiments he tried—and failed—to capture the aesthetic of blood using various red paints as facsimiles. His frustration led to a simple revelation: paint with blood itself.
He first purchased blood from a meat market in New York’s Chinatown, and learned the hard way that decaying blood is as unpleasant as it is visually intriguing. Today he buys fresh blood from local slaughterhouses and freezes it in batches. Blood leftover from a day’s work is deposited in open-air trays, where it is allowed to dry slowly into bricks of odorless powder. The powder can be mixed with fresh blood or crumbled by hand onto the composition.
In TSBC3, cow’s blood is blended with UV resin and applied in successive layers to a Plexiglas frame. Layers of a blood and copper powder mixture are also brushed or dripped onto the surface. The fourth crucial ingredient is light, which reveals the contrasting textures and colors of the materials. Eagles calls TSBC3 an “energy” piece. The radial forms mimic patterns in nature, evoking for the artist “the birth of a star, the head of a volcano, or the pupil of an eye” while remaining fundamentally abstract.
Ruth Keffer
Guest Curator
UMMA is grateful to Lillian Montalto and Robert M. Bohlen for their generous gift of this important work of art. The impact of the Bohlens’ long association with the Museum has been felt in numerous ways, through their naming of the African Gallery and donations of many significant works of African and wood art—treasures enjoyed by Museum visitors each day.
[label copy]
Jordan Eagles
TSBC3
2011
Blood, copper, and UV resin on Plexiglas
Gift of Lillian Montalto and Robert M. Bohlen, 2011/2.1
Physical Description
An abstract painting of blood in a sunburst pattern.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
abstract
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.
2011/2.1
Title
TSBC3
Artist(s)
Jordan Eagles
Object Creation Date
2011
Medium & Support
blood, copper preserved on Plexiglass, UV resin
Dimensions
35 7/8 x 35 7/8 x 4 1/8 in. (91.12 x 91.12 x 10.48 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Lillian Montalto and Robert M. Bohlen
Label copy
In Focus 2012
Jordan Eagles
New York-based multimedia artist Jordan Eagles has been painting with animal blood for fifteen years, refining a process to transform what is essentially biological waste into an extraordinary expressive tool. “Sometimes I think of myself as an alchemist,” the artist says, as he describes his ambition to bring a once-living substance back to life, and to develop a body of work that explores essential questions about life and death.
Eagles’s fascination with these questions began as a New York University student in the late 1990s. In his early art experiments he tried—and failed—to capture the aesthetic of blood using various red paints as facsimiles. His frustration led to a simple revelation: paint with blood itself.
He first purchased blood from a meat market in New York’s Chinatown, and learned the hard way that decaying blood is as unpleasant as it is visually intriguing. Today he buys fresh blood from local slaughterhouses and freezes it in batches. Blood leftover from a day’s work is deposited in open-air trays, where it is allowed to dry slowly into bricks of odorless powder. The powder can be mixed with fresh blood or crumbled by hand onto the composition.
In TSBC3, cow’s blood is blended with UV resin and applied in successive layers to a Plexiglas frame. Layers of a blood and copper powder mixture are also brushed or dripped onto the surface. The fourth crucial ingredient is light, which reveals the contrasting textures and colors of the materials. Eagles calls TSBC3 an “energy” piece. The radial forms mimic patterns in nature, evoking for the artist “the birth of a star, the head of a volcano, or the pupil of an eye” while remaining fundamentally abstract.
Ruth Keffer
Guest Curator
UMMA is grateful to Lillian Montalto and Robert M. Bohlen for their generous gift of this important work of art. The impact of the Bohlens’ long association with the Museum has been felt in numerous ways, through their naming of the African Gallery and donations of many significant works of African and wood art—treasures enjoyed by Museum visitors each day.
[label copy]
Jordan Eagles
TSBC3
2011
Blood, copper, and UV resin on Plexiglas
Gift of Lillian Montalto and Robert M. Bohlen, 2011/2.1
Physical Description
An abstract painting of blood in a sunburst pattern.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
abstract
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.
Jordan Eagles
TSBC3
blood, copper preserved on Plexiglass, UV resin
35 7/8 x 35 7/8 x 4 1/8 in. (91.12 x 91.12 x 10.48 cm)
Gift of Lillian Montalto and Robert M. Bohlen
TSBC3
blood, copper preserved on Plexiglass, UV resin
35 7/8 x 35 7/8 x 4 1/8 in. (91.12 x 91.12 x 10.48 cm)
Gift of Lillian Montalto and Robert M. Bohlen
Accession Number
1991/2.7
Title
Untitled (No. XXIII)
Artist(s)
Josef Hampl
Object Creation Date
1991
Medium & Support
ink and string on paper
Dimensions
77 15/16 in x 36 1/4 in (197.96 cm x 92.07 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Marion Hrebek Keys
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
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.
1991/2.7
Title
Untitled (No. XXIII)
Artist(s)
Josef Hampl
Object Creation Date
1991
Medium & Support
ink and string on paper
Dimensions
77 15/16 in x 36 1/4 in (197.96 cm x 92.07 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Marion Hrebek Keys
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
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.
Josef Hampl
Untitled (No. XXIII)
ink and string on paper
77 15/16 in x 36 1/4 in (197.96 cm x 92.07 cm)
Gift of Marion Hrebek Keys
Untitled (No. XXIII)
ink and string on paper
77 15/16 in x 36 1/4 in (197.96 cm x 92.07 cm)
Gift of Marion Hrebek Keys
Accession Number
1958/1.102
Title
Ah Puch
Artist(s)
Guillermo Meza
Artist Nationality
Mexican
Object Creation Date
1949
Medium & Support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
45 3/8 in x 33 7/16 in (115.2 cm x 85 cm);46 1/4 in x 34 1/2 in x 1 in (117.48 cm x 87.63 cm x 2.54 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
President's House object Summary
The Mexican artist Guillermo Meza apprenticed in his father's tailor shop while studying art and music at the Escuela Nocturna de Arte para Trabajadores (Art Night School for Workers). After moving to Morelia, a city in the state of Michoacan, Meza continued his studies and was fortunate to meet Diego Rivera in 1940. Rivera helped to arrange Meza's first one-man exhibition at the Galeria de Arte Mexicano, an important venue in Mexico City. Meza was represented in international exhibitions beginning in the 1950s and worked later in his career with dance and theater companies, both in Mexico and abroad. He also served as president of the First National Congress of Visual Artisits. Meza described his vocation as: "My eyes, my hands, my brain we made for painting, and only painting can settle my drive."
In this work, Meza refers to an ancient subject: Ah Puch, a malevolent underworld deity of Mayan religion. The god of death, Ah Puch ruled over Mitmal, the land of the dead, and appears in pre-Conquest codices along with the god of war in scenes of human sacrifice. Generally pictured as a human with an owl's head, he is also pictured as a skeleton-like being. With a large cancas and the somber, mysterious disposition of the figure, Meza has created an ominous, threatening image that invokes something of the fear and violence of the ancient world.
(Agnes Miner, Ann Sinfield)
Subject matter
As the title suggests, this is a portrait of one of the Mayan death gods, Ah Puch. This is a skeleton-like being, the patron of the sixth day-sign Cimi, and Lord of Hell. This subject matter is not only a depiction of the god, however, but also a more general image of Mexican culture. Meza's depiction reflects the role the skeleton mask plays as a powerful symbol in Mexican culture. This work is indicative of Meza's engagement with Surrealism and, what has been termed Magic Realism. The painterly quality of the background conjuries images of storm clouds. Like many of the Mayan gods, Ah Puch also had benevolent qualities as a bringer of rain and fertility.
Physical Description
Bust of a figure from the chest up in three-quarters pose. The head, or perhaps a mask, is white, resembling a skull with a halo of white hair. The neck is dark brown with two white bands like chokers around it, perhaps securing the mask. The figure wears a dark red garment that is trimmed in ornate lace in white and gold. The background is a deep teal green-blue.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
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.
1958/1.102
Title
Ah Puch
Artist(s)
Guillermo Meza
Artist Nationality
Mexican
Object Creation Date
1949
Medium & Support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
45 3/8 in x 33 7/16 in (115.2 cm x 85 cm);46 1/4 in x 34 1/2 in x 1 in (117.48 cm x 87.63 cm x 2.54 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
President's House object Summary
The Mexican artist Guillermo Meza apprenticed in his father's tailor shop while studying art and music at the Escuela Nocturna de Arte para Trabajadores (Art Night School for Workers). After moving to Morelia, a city in the state of Michoacan, Meza continued his studies and was fortunate to meet Diego Rivera in 1940. Rivera helped to arrange Meza's first one-man exhibition at the Galeria de Arte Mexicano, an important venue in Mexico City. Meza was represented in international exhibitions beginning in the 1950s and worked later in his career with dance and theater companies, both in Mexico and abroad. He also served as president of the First National Congress of Visual Artisits. Meza described his vocation as: "My eyes, my hands, my brain we made for painting, and only painting can settle my drive."
In this work, Meza refers to an ancient subject: Ah Puch, a malevolent underworld deity of Mayan religion. The god of death, Ah Puch ruled over Mitmal, the land of the dead, and appears in pre-Conquest codices along with the god of war in scenes of human sacrifice. Generally pictured as a human with an owl's head, he is also pictured as a skeleton-like being. With a large cancas and the somber, mysterious disposition of the figure, Meza has created an ominous, threatening image that invokes something of the fear and violence of the ancient world.
(Agnes Miner, Ann Sinfield)
Subject matter
As the title suggests, this is a portrait of one of the Mayan death gods, Ah Puch. This is a skeleton-like being, the patron of the sixth day-sign Cimi, and Lord of Hell. This subject matter is not only a depiction of the god, however, but also a more general image of Mexican culture. Meza's depiction reflects the role the skeleton mask plays as a powerful symbol in Mexican culture. This work is indicative of Meza's engagement with Surrealism and, what has been termed Magic Realism. The painterly quality of the background conjuries images of storm clouds. Like many of the Mayan gods, Ah Puch also had benevolent qualities as a bringer of rain and fertility.
Physical Description
Bust of a figure from the chest up in three-quarters pose. The head, or perhaps a mask, is white, resembling a skull with a halo of white hair. The neck is dark brown with two white bands like chokers around it, perhaps securing the mask. The figure wears a dark red garment that is trimmed in ornate lace in white and gold. The background is a deep teal green-blue.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
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.
Guillermo Meza
Ah Puch
oil on canvas
45 3/8 in x 33 7/16 in (115.2 cm x 85 cm);46 1/4 in x 34 1/2 in x 1 in (117.48 cm x 87.63 cm x 2.54 cm)
Museum Purchase
Ah Puch
oil on canvas
45 3/8 in x 33 7/16 in (115.2 cm x 85 cm);46 1/4 in x 34 1/2 in x 1 in (117.48 cm x 87.63 cm x 2.54 cm)
Museum Purchase
Accession Number
2018/2.89
Title
Interconfined
Artist(s)
Dinh Q. Lê
Object Creation Date
1994
Medium & Support
chromogenic prints and linen tape
Dimensions
59 in x 43 ½ in x 2 in (149.86 cm x 110.49 cm x 5.08 cm);54 in x 38 ½ in (137.16 cm x 97.79 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the University of Michigan Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Director's Acquisition Committee, 2018
Physical Description
Image comprised of three figures with the central figure interwoven between a Buddhist statue and a Christ-like figure in a red robe. The material of the work is cut into strips and is woven together.
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
collage
Collection Area
Asian
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.
2018/2.89
Title
Interconfined
Artist(s)
Dinh Q. Lê
Object Creation Date
1994
Medium & Support
chromogenic prints and linen tape
Dimensions
59 in x 43 ½ in x 2 in (149.86 cm x 110.49 cm x 5.08 cm);54 in x 38 ½ in (137.16 cm x 97.79 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the University of Michigan Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Director's Acquisition Committee, 2018
Physical Description
Image comprised of three figures with the central figure interwoven between a Buddhist statue and a Christ-like figure in a red robe. The material of the work is cut into strips and is woven together.
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
collage
Collection Area
Asian
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.
Dinh Q. Lê
Interconfined
chromogenic prints and linen tape
59 in x 43 ½ in x 2 in (149.86 cm x 110.49 cm x 5.08 cm);54 in x 38 ½ in (137.16 cm x 97.79 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the University of Michigan Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Director's Acquisition Committee, 2018
Interconfined
chromogenic prints and linen tape
59 in x 43 ½ in x 2 in (149.86 cm x 110.49 cm x 5.08 cm);54 in x 38 ½ in (137.16 cm x 97.79 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the University of Michigan Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Director's Acquisition Committee, 2018
Accession Number
2003/1.367A-C
Title
Resurrection (triptych)
Artist(s)
Khaled al-Saa'i
Object Creation Date
2002
Medium & Support
natural ink, tempera and gouache on paper
Dimensions
16 3/10 in x 20 11/16 in (41.43 cm x 52.55 cm);22 1/16 in x 28 1/16 in (56.04 cm x 71.28 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
Primary Object Classification
Drawing
Primary Object Type
line drawing
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.
2003/1.367A-C
Title
Resurrection (triptych)
Artist(s)
Khaled al-Saa'i
Object Creation Date
2002
Medium & Support
natural ink, tempera and gouache on paper
Dimensions
16 3/10 in x 20 11/16 in (41.43 cm x 52.55 cm);22 1/16 in x 28 1/16 in (56.04 cm x 71.28 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
Primary Object Classification
Drawing
Primary Object Type
line drawing
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.
Khaled al-Saa'i
Resurrection (triptych)
natural ink, tempera and gouache on paper
16 3/10 in x 20 11/16 in (41.43 cm x 52.55 cm);22 1/16 in x 28 1/16 in (56.04 cm x 71.28 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
Resurrection (triptych)
natural ink, tempera and gouache on paper
16 3/10 in x 20 11/16 in (41.43 cm x 52.55 cm);22 1/16 in x 28 1/16 in (56.04 cm x 71.28 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
Expanses (2020)
Composed and performed by Aislinn Bailie (Master of Music in Performance - Bassoon, 2021) and Emily Yang (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts Technology, 2020).
Read more about the Musical Labels projectWater Protocols
Accession Number
1943.155
Title
Chasing a Slaver
Artist(s)
Robert Hopkin
Object Creation Date
1880
Medium & Support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
50 in x 74 in x 5 ½ in (127 cm x 187.96 cm x 13.97 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. William Van Dyke
Physical Description
Ship chasing another ship. Shore on the right hand side of the painting.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
historical
Collection Area
Western
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.
1943.155
Title
Chasing a Slaver
Artist(s)
Robert Hopkin
Object Creation Date
1880
Medium & Support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
50 in x 74 in x 5 ½ in (127 cm x 187.96 cm x 13.97 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. William Van Dyke
Physical Description
Ship chasing another ship. Shore on the right hand side of the painting.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
historical
Collection Area
Western
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.
Robert Hopkin
Chasing a Slaver
oil on canvas
50 in x 74 in x 5 ½ in (127 cm x 187.96 cm x 13.97 cm)
Gift of Mr. William Van Dyke
Chasing a Slaver
oil on canvas
50 in x 74 in x 5 ½ in (127 cm x 187.96 cm x 13.97 cm)
Gift of Mr. William Van Dyke
Accession Number
2006/1.151
Title
Selections from Truisms
Artist(s)
Jenny Holzer
Object Creation Date
1983
Medium & Support
electronic L.E.D. with red diodes
Dimensions
6 ½ in x 60 ⅝ in x 4 in (16.5 cm x 154 cm x 10.2 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund and anonymous individual benefactors
Label copy
March 28 2009
Jenny Holzer is an installation and conceptual artist whose primary medium is words. She often uses language to draw attention to and undermine habits of thought that go unnoticed. Her Truisms are a constantly evolving collection of several hundred phrases, ideas, and asides—made up or appropriated from diverse sources—that includes such provocative one-liners as: “a little knowledge goes a long way;” “there is a fine line between information and propaganda;” “money creates taste;” and, “freedom is a luxury not a necessity.”
The Truisms have appeared in many forms. Their first incarnation as a public art project was in 1977–79, when Holzer anonymously posted inexpensive, commercially printed broadsheets on buildings, walls, and telephone booths in and around Manhattan. Her pithy, ironic, and acerbic aphorisms were meant to be provocative and elicit public debate. In subsequent years they appeared on posters, billboards, and, as here, LED (light emiting diode) displays and have been exhibited in prominent public places like Times Square, as well as museums and galleries. Just as the content of the Trusims often mimics advertising slogans, Holzer has borrowed from marketing practice and emblazoned them on coffee mugs, t-shirts, pencils, baseball caps, and golf balls.
Subject matter
Holzer's Truisms were adapted from readings as part of her Whitney Independent Study Program in New York City in the late 1970s; her first series of Truisms took the form of posters that she plastered across lower Manhattan; later utilitzing billboards and t-shirts for her textual art, Holzer adopted her best-known medium, the LED (light emiting diode) display in 1982. This work runs on a continuous 25-minute loop with over 170 truisums that range from trite to humorous and ironic while engaging viewers in a participatory exchange between ideas and perceptions.
Physical Description
LED display running time approximately 25 minutes with looping text of approximately 170 truisms in red text.
Primary Object Classification
Video
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.
2006/1.151
Title
Selections from Truisms
Artist(s)
Jenny Holzer
Object Creation Date
1983
Medium & Support
electronic L.E.D. with red diodes
Dimensions
6 ½ in x 60 ⅝ in x 4 in (16.5 cm x 154 cm x 10.2 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund and anonymous individual benefactors
Label copy
March 28 2009
Jenny Holzer is an installation and conceptual artist whose primary medium is words. She often uses language to draw attention to and undermine habits of thought that go unnoticed. Her Truisms are a constantly evolving collection of several hundred phrases, ideas, and asides—made up or appropriated from diverse sources—that includes such provocative one-liners as: “a little knowledge goes a long way;” “there is a fine line between information and propaganda;” “money creates taste;” and, “freedom is a luxury not a necessity.”
The Truisms have appeared in many forms. Their first incarnation as a public art project was in 1977–79, when Holzer anonymously posted inexpensive, commercially printed broadsheets on buildings, walls, and telephone booths in and around Manhattan. Her pithy, ironic, and acerbic aphorisms were meant to be provocative and elicit public debate. In subsequent years they appeared on posters, billboards, and, as here, LED (light emiting diode) displays and have been exhibited in prominent public places like Times Square, as well as museums and galleries. Just as the content of the Trusims often mimics advertising slogans, Holzer has borrowed from marketing practice and emblazoned them on coffee mugs, t-shirts, pencils, baseball caps, and golf balls.
Subject matter
Holzer's Truisms were adapted from readings as part of her Whitney Independent Study Program in New York City in the late 1970s; her first series of Truisms took the form of posters that she plastered across lower Manhattan; later utilitzing billboards and t-shirts for her textual art, Holzer adopted her best-known medium, the LED (light emiting diode) display in 1982. This work runs on a continuous 25-minute loop with over 170 truisums that range from trite to humorous and ironic while engaging viewers in a participatory exchange between ideas and perceptions.
Physical Description
LED display running time approximately 25 minutes with looping text of approximately 170 truisms in red text.
Primary Object Classification
Video
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.
Jenny Holzer
Selections from Truisms
electronic L.E.D. with red diodes
6 ½ in x 60 ⅝ in x 4 in (16.5 cm x 154 cm x 10.2 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund and anonymous individual benefactors
Selections from Truisms
electronic L.E.D. with red diodes
6 ½ in x 60 ⅝ in x 4 in (16.5 cm x 154 cm x 10.2 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund and anonymous individual benefactors
Accession Number
1974/2.28
Title
Wrapped Roses
Artist(s)
Christo
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1968
Medium & Support
plastic, cord and staples
Dimensions
2 7/16 in x 23 9/16 in x 5 ⅞ in (6.19 cm x 59.85 cm x 14.92 cm);2 7/16 in x 23 9/16 in x 5 ⅞ in (6.19 cm x 59.85 cm x 14.92 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. J. Robert Willson
Subject matter
Wrapping something in plastic is usually meant to preserve or protect it; however, in “Wrapped Roses” Christo wraps something made of plastic in more plastic. Throughout his career, Christo, with collaborator Jeanne-Claude, has wrapped numerous items in cloth or plastic, including small boxes, furniture, even buildings. The artists deny that their projects contain any deeper meaning than their immediate aesthetic, contending that the purpose of their art is to simply create new ways of seeing familiar objects.
Physical Description
Three plastic long-stemmed red roses wrapped in thick transparent polyethylene, tied with twine, ends stapled
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
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.
1974/2.28
Title
Wrapped Roses
Artist(s)
Christo
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1968
Medium & Support
plastic, cord and staples
Dimensions
2 7/16 in x 23 9/16 in x 5 ⅞ in (6.19 cm x 59.85 cm x 14.92 cm);2 7/16 in x 23 9/16 in x 5 ⅞ in (6.19 cm x 59.85 cm x 14.92 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. J. Robert Willson
Subject matter
Wrapping something in plastic is usually meant to preserve or protect it; however, in “Wrapped Roses” Christo wraps something made of plastic in more plastic. Throughout his career, Christo, with collaborator Jeanne-Claude, has wrapped numerous items in cloth or plastic, including small boxes, furniture, even buildings. The artists deny that their projects contain any deeper meaning than their immediate aesthetic, contending that the purpose of their art is to simply create new ways of seeing familiar objects.
Physical Description
Three plastic long-stemmed red roses wrapped in thick transparent polyethylene, tied with twine, ends stapled
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
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.
Christo
Wrapped Roses
plastic, cord and staples
2 7/16 in x 23 9/16 in x 5 ⅞ in (6.19 cm x 59.85 cm x 14.92 cm);2 7/16 in x 23 9/16 in x 5 ⅞ in (6.19 cm x 59.85 cm x 14.92 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. J. Robert Willson
Wrapped Roses
plastic, cord and staples
2 7/16 in x 23 9/16 in x 5 ⅞ in (6.19 cm x 59.85 cm x 14.92 cm);2 7/16 in x 23 9/16 in x 5 ⅞ in (6.19 cm x 59.85 cm x 14.92 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. J. Robert Willson
Accession Number
1982/1.199
Title
Illuminated Landscape
Artist(s)
Chet Harmon La More
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1948
Medium & Support
casein on board
Dimensions
24 ⅜ in x 30 3/16 in (61.91 cm x 76.68 cm);33 in x 39 in x 2 in (83.82 cm x 99.06 cm x 5.08 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
Wisconsin-born LaMore studied in Madison at the Colt School of Art before working on Federal art projects in Baltimore and New York. By the 1940s his work had become distinctly Surrealist in character, and Illuminated Landscape exhibits many of the qualities of that movement. The nocturnal landscape contains elements that are evocative of both marine flora and fauna as well as celestial bodies. These forms, depicted in the most delicate colors—pinks, greens, and blues—are set against a modulated monochrome background. This dreamlike setting weaves imaginary shapes with those derived from natural forms to create a rich image of stars and sea plants.
LaMore joined the faculty of the University of Michigan in 1947, where he taught until his retirement in 1974.
Label copy from exhibition "Dreamscapes: The Surrealist Impulse," August 22 - October 25, 1998
Subject matter
Fantastical landscape populated with otherwordly flora and fauna. The image evokes a fantasy of a dream-like place wrapped in its own mystery.
Physical Description
Nocturnal scene with landscape populated by otherworldly pink, green, and blue flora and fauna resembling marine life or celestial bodies.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
landscape
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.
1982/1.199
Title
Illuminated Landscape
Artist(s)
Chet Harmon La More
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1948
Medium & Support
casein on board
Dimensions
24 ⅜ in x 30 3/16 in (61.91 cm x 76.68 cm);33 in x 39 in x 2 in (83.82 cm x 99.06 cm x 5.08 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
Wisconsin-born LaMore studied in Madison at the Colt School of Art before working on Federal art projects in Baltimore and New York. By the 1940s his work had become distinctly Surrealist in character, and Illuminated Landscape exhibits many of the qualities of that movement. The nocturnal landscape contains elements that are evocative of both marine flora and fauna as well as celestial bodies. These forms, depicted in the most delicate colors—pinks, greens, and blues—are set against a modulated monochrome background. This dreamlike setting weaves imaginary shapes with those derived from natural forms to create a rich image of stars and sea plants.
LaMore joined the faculty of the University of Michigan in 1947, where he taught until his retirement in 1974.
Label copy from exhibition "Dreamscapes: The Surrealist Impulse," August 22 - October 25, 1998
Subject matter
Fantastical landscape populated with otherwordly flora and fauna. The image evokes a fantasy of a dream-like place wrapped in its own mystery.
Physical Description
Nocturnal scene with landscape populated by otherworldly pink, green, and blue flora and fauna resembling marine life or celestial bodies.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
landscape
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.
Chet Harmon La More
Illuminated Landscape
casein on board
24 ⅜ in x 30 3/16 in (61.91 cm x 76.68 cm);33 in x 39 in x 2 in (83.82 cm x 99.06 cm x 5.08 cm)
Museum Purchase
Illuminated Landscape
casein on board
24 ⅜ in x 30 3/16 in (61.91 cm x 76.68 cm);33 in x 39 in x 2 in (83.82 cm x 99.06 cm x 5.08 cm)
Museum Purchase
Accession Number
1960/2.24
Title
Allegorical Representation of 'America'
Artist(s)
Marten de Vos; Maarten de Vos
Object Creation Date
1594-1600
Medium & Support
pen and black ink with ink wash on cream-colored paper
Dimensions
4 15/16 in x 4 15/16 in (12.54 cm x 12.54 cm);19 ¼ in x 14 ⅜ in (48.89 cm x 36.51 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
Attributed to Maarten de Vos
Flanders, 1532–1603
Allegorical Representation of America
circa 1594–1600
Pen and black ink with ink wash
University of Michigan Museum of Art, Museum purchase, 1960/2.24
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Americas were a largely unknown land with a powerful allure for Europeans wanting to expand their colonial territories and exploit its natural resources. This allegorical depiction of America shows it personified as a female figure seated on a tree stump, adorned with a feather girdle and headdress, armbands, and a necklace of shells over her shoulder. Around her are emblems of America’s fecundity: a rhinoceros (often confused with an armadillo), a jaguar with the head of a lion, a fantastic parrot, and a fruit-laden tree. Staff in hand she faces the European ship at the upper left while her left arm, draped with strands of beads, holds a bowl as if to offer the newcomers the wealth of her lands.
De Vos made numerous drawings intended for translation into prints by some of the leading engravers in Europe. This image showing how Europeans perceived the Americas may have been intended as a decorative plaquette or even a stained glass.
Primary Object Classification
Drawing
Collection Area
Western
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.
1960/2.24
Title
Allegorical Representation of 'America'
Artist(s)
Marten de Vos; Maarten de Vos
Object Creation Date
1594-1600
Medium & Support
pen and black ink with ink wash on cream-colored paper
Dimensions
4 15/16 in x 4 15/16 in (12.54 cm x 12.54 cm);19 ¼ in x 14 ⅜ in (48.89 cm x 36.51 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
Attributed to Maarten de Vos
Flanders, 1532–1603
Allegorical Representation of America
circa 1594–1600
Pen and black ink with ink wash
University of Michigan Museum of Art, Museum purchase, 1960/2.24
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Americas were a largely unknown land with a powerful allure for Europeans wanting to expand their colonial territories and exploit its natural resources. This allegorical depiction of America shows it personified as a female figure seated on a tree stump, adorned with a feather girdle and headdress, armbands, and a necklace of shells over her shoulder. Around her are emblems of America’s fecundity: a rhinoceros (often confused with an armadillo), a jaguar with the head of a lion, a fantastic parrot, and a fruit-laden tree. Staff in hand she faces the European ship at the upper left while her left arm, draped with strands of beads, holds a bowl as if to offer the newcomers the wealth of her lands.
De Vos made numerous drawings intended for translation into prints by some of the leading engravers in Europe. This image showing how Europeans perceived the Americas may have been intended as a decorative plaquette or even a stained glass.
Primary Object Classification
Drawing
Collection Area
Western
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.
Marten de Vos; Maarten de Vos
Allegorical Representation of 'America'
pen and black ink with ink wash on cream-colored paper
4 15/16 in x 4 15/16 in (12.54 cm x 12.54 cm);19 ¼ in x 14 ⅜ in (48.89 cm x 36.51 cm)
Museum Purchase
Allegorical Representation of 'America'
pen and black ink with ink wash on cream-colored paper
4 15/16 in x 4 15/16 in (12.54 cm x 12.54 cm);19 ¼ in x 14 ⅜ in (48.89 cm x 36.51 cm)
Museum Purchase
Wade in the Water, Traditional Spiritual, Arranged by Moses Hogan
Copyright (c) 1997 by Hal Leonard Corporation. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Performed by the U-M Chamber Choir at UMMA in October 2019 under the direction of Eugene Rogers
Read more about the Musical Labels projectCome See About Me
Accession Number
2004/1.345
Title
Untitled Vessel, The Peter Norton Family Christmas Project 2004
Artist(s)
Do-Ho Suh
Object Creation Date
2004
Medium & Support
hand blown glass
Dimensions
6 9/16 in x 8 3/8 in (16.67 cm x 21.27 cm);12 1/2 in x 13 3/4 in x 13 3/4 in (31.75 cm x 34.92 cm x 34.92 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of The Peter Norton Family Foundation
Primary Object Classification
Decorative Arts
Primary Object Type
glass
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.
2004/1.345
Title
Untitled Vessel, The Peter Norton Family Christmas Project 2004
Artist(s)
Do-Ho Suh
Object Creation Date
2004
Medium & Support
hand blown glass
Dimensions
6 9/16 in x 8 3/8 in (16.67 cm x 21.27 cm);12 1/2 in x 13 3/4 in x 13 3/4 in (31.75 cm x 34.92 cm x 34.92 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of The Peter Norton Family Foundation
Primary Object Classification
Decorative Arts
Primary Object Type
glass
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.
Do-Ho Suh
Untitled Vessel, The Peter Norton Family Christmas Project 2004
hand blown glass
6 9/16 in x 8 3/8 in (16.67 cm x 21.27 cm);12 1/2 in x 13 3/4 in x 13 3/4 in (31.75 cm x 34.92 cm x 34.92 cm)
Gift of The Peter Norton Family Foundation
Untitled Vessel, The Peter Norton Family Christmas Project 2004
hand blown glass
6 9/16 in x 8 3/8 in (16.67 cm x 21.27 cm);12 1/2 in x 13 3/4 in x 13 3/4 in (31.75 cm x 34.92 cm x 34.92 cm)
Gift of The Peter Norton Family Foundation
Accession Number
2002/2.145
Title
Three Gold Rings, from Ringed Series
Artist(s)
Todd Hoyer
Object Creation Date
1991
Medium & Support
eucalyptus, imitation gold leaf
Dimensions
11 7/16 x 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (29 x 19 x 19 cm);11 7/16 x 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (29 x 19 x 19 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Robert M. and Lillian Montalto Bohlen
Label copy
Todd Hoyer
Born 1952, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Lives and works in Bisbee, Arizona
Three Gold Rings, from Ringed series
1991
Eucalyptus, imitation gold leaf
Gift of Robert M. and Lillian Montalto Bohlen, 2002/2.145
Some contemporary woodturners have experimented with fire as a finishing process, in place of refining techniques like sanding and staining. Fire was both artistic and symbolic in Todd Hoyer’s Ringed series, which was created as a response to Hoyer’s painful divorce from his wife and her subsequent death.
Mike Irolla (see object 2002/2.147) turns whole logs in order to retain the natural edges of the wood. Fire then becomes the finishing element for his work, leaving a charred black surface in place of paint.
(Out of the Ordinary, 2010)
March 28, 2009
Todd Hoyer’s unusual vessel of eucalyptus tells a personal story of loss and enduring human bonds. It is part of his Ringed Series, the theme of which is bindings and connections. Three Gold Rings was created after a painful separation from and the subsequent death of Hoyer’s wife, which left him a single parent of a six-year-old. Hoyer says: “the two rings on the upper portion represent myself and my daughter, still linked together. The single loose ring at the bottom represents my wife, broken from the chain. The burnt and charred surface is the background for that emotional time.”
Hoyer employs a variety of techniques, such as carving, weathering, burning, or splitting wood to communicate different meanings: burnt surfaces often reflect the blackness of the void and the hollowness within; carving and surface texturing can suggest beauty or the scarring that comes with age; splitting the wood reveals the flow of the grain and indicates the tree’s growth.
Subject matter
A turned wood vessel that addresses relationships and time--togetherness, loss, and death. The loose ring of gold represents the artist's wife, from whom the artist separated before her death. The two overlapping rings represent the artist and his daughter.
Physical Description
A bulbous vessel with narrow mouth and base. The wood is burned and cracked and circled by three gold bands, two of which overlap.
burnt wood vessel with gold
Primary Object Classification
Wood and Woodcarving
Primary Object Type
vessel
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.
2002/2.145
Title
Three Gold Rings, from Ringed Series
Artist(s)
Todd Hoyer
Object Creation Date
1991
Medium & Support
eucalyptus, imitation gold leaf
Dimensions
11 7/16 x 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (29 x 19 x 19 cm);11 7/16 x 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (29 x 19 x 19 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Robert M. and Lillian Montalto Bohlen
Label copy
Todd Hoyer
Born 1952, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Lives and works in Bisbee, Arizona
Three Gold Rings, from Ringed series
1991
Eucalyptus, imitation gold leaf
Gift of Robert M. and Lillian Montalto Bohlen, 2002/2.145
Some contemporary woodturners have experimented with fire as a finishing process, in place of refining techniques like sanding and staining. Fire was both artistic and symbolic in Todd Hoyer’s Ringed series, which was created as a response to Hoyer’s painful divorce from his wife and her subsequent death.
Mike Irolla (see object 2002/2.147) turns whole logs in order to retain the natural edges of the wood. Fire then becomes the finishing element for his work, leaving a charred black surface in place of paint.
(Out of the Ordinary, 2010)
March 28, 2009
Todd Hoyer’s unusual vessel of eucalyptus tells a personal story of loss and enduring human bonds. It is part of his Ringed Series, the theme of which is bindings and connections. Three Gold Rings was created after a painful separation from and the subsequent death of Hoyer’s wife, which left him a single parent of a six-year-old. Hoyer says: “the two rings on the upper portion represent myself and my daughter, still linked together. The single loose ring at the bottom represents my wife, broken from the chain. The burnt and charred surface is the background for that emotional time.”
Hoyer employs a variety of techniques, such as carving, weathering, burning, or splitting wood to communicate different meanings: burnt surfaces often reflect the blackness of the void and the hollowness within; carving and surface texturing can suggest beauty or the scarring that comes with age; splitting the wood reveals the flow of the grain and indicates the tree’s growth.
Subject matter
A turned wood vessel that addresses relationships and time--togetherness, loss, and death. The loose ring of gold represents the artist's wife, from whom the artist separated before her death. The two overlapping rings represent the artist and his daughter.
Physical Description
A bulbous vessel with narrow mouth and base. The wood is burned and cracked and circled by three gold bands, two of which overlap.
burnt wood vessel with gold
Primary Object Classification
Wood and Woodcarving
Primary Object Type
vessel
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.
Todd Hoyer
Three Gold Rings, from Ringed Series
eucalyptus, imitation gold leaf
11 7/16 x 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (29 x 19 x 19 cm);11 7/16 x 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (29 x 19 x 19 cm)
Gift of Robert M. and Lillian Montalto Bohlen
Three Gold Rings, from Ringed Series
eucalyptus, imitation gold leaf
11 7/16 x 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (29 x 19 x 19 cm);11 7/16 x 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (29 x 19 x 19 cm)
Gift of Robert M. and Lillian Montalto Bohlen
Accession Number
2014/2.1
Title
Little Box for Starving Artists
Artist(s)
Theaster Gates
Object Creation Date
2013
Medium & Support
wood, ceramics, artist's clothing, book
Dimensions
7 1/4 in x 12 1/2 in x 10 in (18.41 cm x 31.75 cm x 25.4 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase made possible by Joseph and Annette Allen
Physical Description
A - Wooden Box - Notches on top of two sides for lifting the lid off. Lid Separate.
B - Wooden Lid - Paired with wooden box (A). Notches in middle for lifting lid.
C - Ceramic Bowl - Small round base with slightly ridged surface, more along the interior. Dark brown glaze that lightens around the top lip. Light semi-circle shape in glaze at bottom, on both the interior and exterior of the bowl
D - Ceramic Bowl - Small round base with a slighly irregular top rim. Dark brown glaze with specks showing the lighter underglaze. Lighter glaze shows more along top of rim, in a semicircular shape along the rim that can be seen on the interior and exterior.
E - Ceramic Dish - Four peaked feet on the underside, showing unglazed ceramic at tip of feet. Dark brown glaze with irregular specks and stippling showing lighter underglaze. Curved surface with four corners being the highest points. Bit of white material stuck to one of the feet.
F - Small Ceramic Bowl - Ridged surface that curves outward at top lip. Large indent in the side that pokes through the interior. Parts of bottom unglazed. Gray and white glazes with black specks, marking on bottom.
G - Small Ceramic Bowl - Ridged surface that curves outward at top lip. Gray and white glazing. Bottom has no glaze. Small circular unglazed section inside of exterior, marking on the bottom.
H - Small Box - Small box wrapped in a gray fabric with a bow on top. Gray fabric has some white stitching and red on the interior.
I - Men's Large T-Shirt - White with dark blue collar and sleeve trim. "Hyde Park Art Center" and a picture on the front with a small logo on the back. Some smudging on the top right shoulder.
J - Men's Extra-Large T-Shirt - Dark green with light green circular logo on front that reads " John Jameson and Son Limited", back has a small light green logo at the top that reads "James Irish Whiskey". Small light smudges at top on both front and back.
K - Hard Cover Book - "There Are No Children Here" by Alex Kotlowitz - ISBN #9780385265263
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
found object
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.
2014/2.1
Title
Little Box for Starving Artists
Artist(s)
Theaster Gates
Object Creation Date
2013
Medium & Support
wood, ceramics, artist's clothing, book
Dimensions
7 1/4 in x 12 1/2 in x 10 in (18.41 cm x 31.75 cm x 25.4 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase made possible by Joseph and Annette Allen
Physical Description
A - Wooden Box - Notches on top of two sides for lifting the lid off. Lid Separate.
B - Wooden Lid - Paired with wooden box (A). Notches in middle for lifting lid.
C - Ceramic Bowl - Small round base with slightly ridged surface, more along the interior. Dark brown glaze that lightens around the top lip. Light semi-circle shape in glaze at bottom, on both the interior and exterior of the bowl
D - Ceramic Bowl - Small round base with a slighly irregular top rim. Dark brown glaze with specks showing the lighter underglaze. Lighter glaze shows more along top of rim, in a semicircular shape along the rim that can be seen on the interior and exterior.
E - Ceramic Dish - Four peaked feet on the underside, showing unglazed ceramic at tip of feet. Dark brown glaze with irregular specks and stippling showing lighter underglaze. Curved surface with four corners being the highest points. Bit of white material stuck to one of the feet.
F - Small Ceramic Bowl - Ridged surface that curves outward at top lip. Large indent in the side that pokes through the interior. Parts of bottom unglazed. Gray and white glazes with black specks, marking on bottom.
G - Small Ceramic Bowl - Ridged surface that curves outward at top lip. Gray and white glazing. Bottom has no glaze. Small circular unglazed section inside of exterior, marking on the bottom.
H - Small Box - Small box wrapped in a gray fabric with a bow on top. Gray fabric has some white stitching and red on the interior.
I - Men's Large T-Shirt - White with dark blue collar and sleeve trim. "Hyde Park Art Center" and a picture on the front with a small logo on the back. Some smudging on the top right shoulder.
J - Men's Extra-Large T-Shirt - Dark green with light green circular logo on front that reads " John Jameson and Son Limited", back has a small light green logo at the top that reads "James Irish Whiskey". Small light smudges at top on both front and back.
K - Hard Cover Book - "There Are No Children Here" by Alex Kotlowitz - ISBN #9780385265263
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
found object
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.
Theaster Gates
Little Box for Starving Artists
wood, ceramics, artist's clothing, book
7 1/4 in x 12 1/2 in x 10 in (18.41 cm x 31.75 cm x 25.4 cm)
Museum Purchase made possible by Joseph and Annette Allen
Little Box for Starving Artists
wood, ceramics, artist's clothing, book
7 1/4 in x 12 1/2 in x 10 in (18.41 cm x 31.75 cm x 25.4 cm)
Museum Purchase made possible by Joseph and Annette Allen
Accession Number
1968/2.12
Title
Täuflinge
Artist(s)
Wassily Kandinsky
Artist Nationality
Russian (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
1913
Medium & Support
woodcut on paper
Dimensions
11 1/16 in x 10 15/16 in (28.1 cm x 27.8 cm);14 3/8 in x 19 3/8 in (36.5 cm x 49.2 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
Russian-born Wassily Kandinsky’s central role in Die Brücke shows that Expressionism was, especially before World War I, an international movement. Before moving to Munich to study art in 1896, Kandinsky studied Russian peasant law and ethnography. His interest in folk life, ritual, and myth is evident in much of his early work, which focuses on medieval imagery and images of rural Russia. Like many of the Expressionists, he romanticized folk cultures, juxtaposing what he regarded as their innocence and naiveté against the materialism and complexity of modern life and art.
In 1913, Kandinsky published Sounds, a collection of art, poetry, and prose revealing his desire to create art for the spiritual and cultural betterment of his audience. Baptism shows, with its Old Russian landscape and intimate throng of the newly faithful, the unadorned piety of simple folk at the moment of spiritual transformation
Text written by Katharine A. Weiss, Exhibitions Assistant, on the occasion of the UMMA exhibition Graphic Visions: German Expressionist Prints and Drawings, January 25–April 6, 2003, West Gallery
Subject matter
This print comes from an album/book Kandinsky created which was a combination of poetry-prose and woodcuts. The album, titled Klänge or "Sounds," was meant to be a "musical" work in which text and image combined to reveal what Kandinsky believed to be a true representation of art. All of the 56 prints in this album where created as woodcuts, a medium which Kandinsky believed to be a necessary means by which to combine the artistic and verbal qualities of his work. In this print Kandinsky represents a baptismal scene. Early in his career, Kandinsky was inspired by idealized visions of Russian folk-life and this scene represents what could be seen as a folk ritual.
Physical Description
This black and white woodcut shows a river running horizontally across it, whose banks are made of dark wavy lines. Between the banks is a crowd of naked people, drawn in simple outlines. In the background are several trees, as well as a building, perhaps a church with an onion dome.
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.
1968/2.12
Title
Täuflinge
Artist(s)
Wassily Kandinsky
Artist Nationality
Russian (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
1913
Medium & Support
woodcut on paper
Dimensions
11 1/16 in x 10 15/16 in (28.1 cm x 27.8 cm);14 3/8 in x 19 3/8 in (36.5 cm x 49.2 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
Russian-born Wassily Kandinsky’s central role in Die Brücke shows that Expressionism was, especially before World War I, an international movement. Before moving to Munich to study art in 1896, Kandinsky studied Russian peasant law and ethnography. His interest in folk life, ritual, and myth is evident in much of his early work, which focuses on medieval imagery and images of rural Russia. Like many of the Expressionists, he romanticized folk cultures, juxtaposing what he regarded as their innocence and naiveté against the materialism and complexity of modern life and art.
In 1913, Kandinsky published Sounds, a collection of art, poetry, and prose revealing his desire to create art for the spiritual and cultural betterment of his audience. Baptism shows, with its Old Russian landscape and intimate throng of the newly faithful, the unadorned piety of simple folk at the moment of spiritual transformation
Text written by Katharine A. Weiss, Exhibitions Assistant, on the occasion of the UMMA exhibition Graphic Visions: German Expressionist Prints and Drawings, January 25–April 6, 2003, West Gallery
Subject matter
This print comes from an album/book Kandinsky created which was a combination of poetry-prose and woodcuts. The album, titled Klänge or "Sounds," was meant to be a "musical" work in which text and image combined to reveal what Kandinsky believed to be a true representation of art. All of the 56 prints in this album where created as woodcuts, a medium which Kandinsky believed to be a necessary means by which to combine the artistic and verbal qualities of his work. In this print Kandinsky represents a baptismal scene. Early in his career, Kandinsky was inspired by idealized visions of Russian folk-life and this scene represents what could be seen as a folk ritual.
Physical Description
This black and white woodcut shows a river running horizontally across it, whose banks are made of dark wavy lines. Between the banks is a crowd of naked people, drawn in simple outlines. In the background are several trees, as well as a building, perhaps a church with an onion dome.
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.
Wassily Kandinsky
Täuflinge
woodcut on paper
11 1/16 in x 10 15/16 in (28.1 cm x 27.8 cm);14 3/8 in x 19 3/8 in (36.5 cm x 49.2 cm)
Museum Purchase
Täuflinge
woodcut on paper
11 1/16 in x 10 15/16 in (28.1 cm x 27.8 cm);14 3/8 in x 19 3/8 in (36.5 cm x 49.2 cm)
Museum Purchase
Accession Number
2002/1.236A-W
Title
Untitled, The Peter Norton Family Christmas Project 2002
Artist(s)
Yinka Shonibare
Artist Nationality
British (modern)
Object Creation Date
2002
Medium & Support
wood, fabric, plastic, metal, offset lithograph
Dimensions
11 ⅝ in x 7 4/5 in x 9 1/16 in (29.53 cm x 19.84 cm x 23.02 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Peter Norton Family Foundation
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
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.
2002/1.236A-W
Title
Untitled, The Peter Norton Family Christmas Project 2002
Artist(s)
Yinka Shonibare
Artist Nationality
British (modern)
Object Creation Date
2002
Medium & Support
wood, fabric, plastic, metal, offset lithograph
Dimensions
11 ⅝ in x 7 4/5 in x 9 1/16 in (29.53 cm x 19.84 cm x 23.02 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Peter Norton Family Foundation
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
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.
Yinka Shonibare
Untitled, The Peter Norton Family Christmas Project 2002
wood, fabric, plastic, metal, offset lithograph
11 ⅝ in x 7 4/5 in x 9 1/16 in (29.53 cm x 19.84 cm x 23.02 cm)
Gift of the Peter Norton Family Foundation
Untitled, The Peter Norton Family Christmas Project 2002
wood, fabric, plastic, metal, offset lithograph
11 ⅝ in x 7 4/5 in x 9 1/16 in (29.53 cm x 19.84 cm x 23.02 cm)
Gift of the Peter Norton Family Foundation
Accession Number
2014/2.2
Title
Untitled
Artist(s)
Kara Walker
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
2014
Medium & Support
print on porcelain
Dimensions
8 1/4 in x 7 1/2 in (20.96 cm x 19.05 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Subject matter
This limited edition pitcher was created with the French porcelain manufacturer Bernardaud in conjunction with Walker's 2014 installation, titled “A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby,” held at the former Domino Sugar factory in Brooklyn, NY. The exhibit was a tribute to the slaves involved in the sugar trade in the Americas and the silhouette on the pitcher resembles the woman/sphinx at the center of the 2014 installation. Walker is best known for her controversial large-scale black silhouette cut-outs that deal directly with African American history in the Antebelleum South. This pitcher is a prime example of the type of imagery and aesthetics used by Walker. Contributing to current dialogues on the representation of Black identities, her work speaks to the way that the intersectionality of race, gender, class, and sexuality operates in the context of America.
Unlike generations of Black artists before her, Walker operates as a "post-black" artist, which affords her the opportunity to address racism and sexism in perhaps an irreverent way. Like this work, her subjects are parodies of historic one-dimensional racist narratives about primitive Africa, Black beasts, and Black women's sexual prowess. She frequently (re)uses stereotypical forms of Black bodies, including the mammy archetype as she does in this work. Walker's use of silhouettes is significant and ironic; she juxtaposes traditional Victorian silhouettes with depictions of violence, hyper-sexuality, and racism.
Physical Description
White glazed porcelain pitcher with two different black silhouette faces in profile, one on each side.
Primary Object Classification
Ceramic
Primary Object Type
pitcher
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.
2014/2.2
Title
Untitled
Artist(s)
Kara Walker
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
2014
Medium & Support
print on porcelain
Dimensions
8 1/4 in x 7 1/2 in (20.96 cm x 19.05 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Subject matter
This limited edition pitcher was created with the French porcelain manufacturer Bernardaud in conjunction with Walker's 2014 installation, titled “A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby,” held at the former Domino Sugar factory in Brooklyn, NY. The exhibit was a tribute to the slaves involved in the sugar trade in the Americas and the silhouette on the pitcher resembles the woman/sphinx at the center of the 2014 installation. Walker is best known for her controversial large-scale black silhouette cut-outs that deal directly with African American history in the Antebelleum South. This pitcher is a prime example of the type of imagery and aesthetics used by Walker. Contributing to current dialogues on the representation of Black identities, her work speaks to the way that the intersectionality of race, gender, class, and sexuality operates in the context of America.
Unlike generations of Black artists before her, Walker operates as a "post-black" artist, which affords her the opportunity to address racism and sexism in perhaps an irreverent way. Like this work, her subjects are parodies of historic one-dimensional racist narratives about primitive Africa, Black beasts, and Black women's sexual prowess. She frequently (re)uses stereotypical forms of Black bodies, including the mammy archetype as she does in this work. Walker's use of silhouettes is significant and ironic; she juxtaposes traditional Victorian silhouettes with depictions of violence, hyper-sexuality, and racism.
Physical Description
White glazed porcelain pitcher with two different black silhouette faces in profile, one on each side.
Primary Object Classification
Ceramic
Primary Object Type
pitcher
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.
Kara Walker
Untitled
print on porcelain
8 1/4 in x 7 1/2 in (20.96 cm x 19.05 cm)
Museum Purchase
Untitled
print on porcelain
8 1/4 in x 7 1/2 in (20.96 cm x 19.05 cm)
Museum Purchase
Sketches of Self (2020)
Performers: Joshua Catania, piano (BFA Jazz and Contemplative Studies, ‘23) and Meg Brennan, flute/alto saxophone (Masters in Improvisation, ‘21)
Read more about the Musical Labels projectLight Details
Accession Number
2008/2.7
Title
3 Sided Picture (Yellow), November 26, 2007, Westwood, CA, Kodak Supra
Artist(s)
Walead Beshty
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
2008
Medium & Support
chromogenic print on paper
Dimensions
109 ⅝ in x 61 ⅛ in x 2 in (278.45 cm x 155.26 cm x 5.08 cm);109 ⅝ in x 61 ⅛ in x 2 in (278.45 cm x 155.26 cm x 5.08 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
Subject matter
Created without the use of a camera, this photograph was made through a physical manipulation of the paper and its selective exposure to light. Folding a large sheet of photographic paper in complete darkness, the artist then exposed it using a colored light source. Based on how it was folded, only certain areas of the paper received a direct exposure, while others received less. The sheet was then unfolded and subsequently developed, revealing the traces of these actions in the form of chromatic, abstract shapes. The areas that received the most exposure are a deep black, while the lightly exposed folds and nooks are various shades of tangerine, honeys, and golds. The folds create the appearance of a faceted surface, lending the image a glossy, crystalline appearance. On closer inspection, these sharp angles have soft edges that meld into a gradation of alizarin and crimson blurs. Containing not only the traces of its creation, this photograph also serves as a visual record of the photons of light that fell upon it on that particular day, documenting the chance operations that informed its making.
Physical Description
This photograph depicts an abstract composition of faceted dark shapes with red, orange and yellow edges. It was created by exposing a sheet of folded photographic paper to light and then developing it.
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.
2008/2.7
Title
3 Sided Picture (Yellow), November 26, 2007, Westwood, CA, Kodak Supra
Artist(s)
Walead Beshty
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
2008
Medium & Support
chromogenic print on paper
Dimensions
109 ⅝ in x 61 ⅛ in x 2 in (278.45 cm x 155.26 cm x 5.08 cm);109 ⅝ in x 61 ⅛ in x 2 in (278.45 cm x 155.26 cm x 5.08 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
Subject matter
Created without the use of a camera, this photograph was made through a physical manipulation of the paper and its selective exposure to light. Folding a large sheet of photographic paper in complete darkness, the artist then exposed it using a colored light source. Based on how it was folded, only certain areas of the paper received a direct exposure, while others received less. The sheet was then unfolded and subsequently developed, revealing the traces of these actions in the form of chromatic, abstract shapes. The areas that received the most exposure are a deep black, while the lightly exposed folds and nooks are various shades of tangerine, honeys, and golds. The folds create the appearance of a faceted surface, lending the image a glossy, crystalline appearance. On closer inspection, these sharp angles have soft edges that meld into a gradation of alizarin and crimson blurs. Containing not only the traces of its creation, this photograph also serves as a visual record of the photons of light that fell upon it on that particular day, documenting the chance operations that informed its making.
Physical Description
This photograph depicts an abstract composition of faceted dark shapes with red, orange and yellow edges. It was created by exposing a sheet of folded photographic paper to light and then developing it.
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.
Walead Beshty
3 Sided Picture (Yellow), November 26, 2007, Westwood, CA, Kodak Supra
chromogenic print on paper
109 ⅝ in x 61 ⅛ in x 2 in (278.45 cm x 155.26 cm x 5.08 cm);109 ⅝ in x 61 ⅛ in x 2 in (278.45 cm x 155.26 cm x 5.08 cm)
Museum Purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
3 Sided Picture (Yellow), November 26, 2007, Westwood, CA, Kodak Supra
chromogenic print on paper
109 ⅝ in x 61 ⅛ in x 2 in (278.45 cm x 155.26 cm x 5.08 cm);109 ⅝ in x 61 ⅛ in x 2 in (278.45 cm x 155.26 cm x 5.08 cm)
Museum Purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
Accession Number
2000/2.122
Title
Configurations
Artist(s)
Charles Alston
Object Creation Date
circa 1952
Medium & Support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
46 7/8 in x 36 13/16 in x 2 3/8 in (119 cm x 93.5 cm x 6 cm);36 3/4 in x 46 3/4 in x 2 1/4 in (93.35 cm x 118.75 cm x 5.72 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary;Western
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.
2000/2.122
Title
Configurations
Artist(s)
Charles Alston
Object Creation Date
circa 1952
Medium & Support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
46 7/8 in x 36 13/16 in x 2 3/8 in (119 cm x 93.5 cm x 6 cm);36 3/4 in x 46 3/4 in x 2 1/4 in (93.35 cm x 118.75 cm x 5.72 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary;Western
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.
Charles Alston
Configurations
oil on canvas
46 7/8 in x 36 13/16 in x 2 3/8 in (119 cm x 93.5 cm x 6 cm);36 3/4 in x 46 3/4 in x 2 1/4 in (93.35 cm x 118.75 cm x 5.72 cm)
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
Configurations
oil on canvas
46 7/8 in x 36 13/16 in x 2 3/8 in (119 cm x 93.5 cm x 6 cm);36 3/4 in x 46 3/4 in x 2 1/4 in (93.35 cm x 118.75 cm x 5.72 cm)
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
Accession Number
1982/2.65
Title
Chapel Ceiling, Gloucester
Artist(s)
Howard Bond
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1980
Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper
Dimensions
16 15/16 in x 14 in (43.02 cm x 35.56 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. W. Howard Bond
Subject matter
This photograph depicts the arched ceiling of a chapel in Gloucester, England, at such close range it is almost abstract in appearance. By eliminating nearly all contextual details, the photograph focuses attention on the gently curving X-shape of the ceiling seams, and the delicate tonal nuances of the building's materials. The only interruption is offered by the semi-circular dark brick arch at the bottom of the image. This is one of a series of ten photographs depicting English churches that Bond printed in 1980.
Physical Description
Photograph of the intersecting lines of a ceiling.
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.
1982/2.65
Title
Chapel Ceiling, Gloucester
Artist(s)
Howard Bond
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1980
Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper
Dimensions
16 15/16 in x 14 in (43.02 cm x 35.56 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. W. Howard Bond
Subject matter
This photograph depicts the arched ceiling of a chapel in Gloucester, England, at such close range it is almost abstract in appearance. By eliminating nearly all contextual details, the photograph focuses attention on the gently curving X-shape of the ceiling seams, and the delicate tonal nuances of the building's materials. The only interruption is offered by the semi-circular dark brick arch at the bottom of the image. This is one of a series of ten photographs depicting English churches that Bond printed in 1980.
Physical Description
Photograph of the intersecting lines of a ceiling.
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.
Howard Bond
Chapel Ceiling, Gloucester
gelatin silver print on paper
16 15/16 in x 14 in (43.02 cm x 35.56 cm)
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. W. Howard Bond
Chapel Ceiling, Gloucester
gelatin silver print on paper
16 15/16 in x 14 in (43.02 cm x 35.56 cm)
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. W. Howard Bond
Accession Number
2000/2.319
Title
Refraction
Artist(s)
Michael Lekakis
Medium & Support
ink on paper
Dimensions
22 11/16 x 15 5/8 in. (57.5 x 39.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of George and Barbara Millio, in loving memory of Emanuel and Despina Millio
Primary Object Classification
Drawing
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.
2000/2.319
Title
Refraction
Artist(s)
Michael Lekakis
Medium & Support
ink on paper
Dimensions
22 11/16 x 15 5/8 in. (57.5 x 39.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of George and Barbara Millio, in loving memory of Emanuel and Despina Millio
Primary Object Classification
Drawing
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.
Michael Lekakis
Refraction
ink on paper
22 11/16 x 15 5/8 in. (57.5 x 39.6 cm)
Gift of George and Barbara Millio, in loving memory of Emanuel and Despina Millio
Refraction
ink on paper
22 11/16 x 15 5/8 in. (57.5 x 39.6 cm)
Gift of George and Barbara Millio, in loving memory of Emanuel and Despina Millio
Accession Number
1954/1.59
Title
El bache
Artist(s)
José Ortega
Artist Nationality
Spanish (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
circa 1952-1953
Medium & Support
woodblock print on paper
Dimensions
7 1/8 in x 5 1/8 in (18.1 cm x 13.02 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Subject matter
This is one of a series of ten works created for a portfolio titled "el Terror" or "The Terror." In 1947, Ortega was sentenced to ten years in prison for his anti-Franco activism, though he only served five years. This portfolio was created just after he was resleased from prison and before he left for Paris, where he received a scholarship to take classes at l'Ecole Estionne and la Ecole de beaux arts. In the series of ten prints, his recent prison experiences were highlighted.
In this, the third of ten prints, the title "The Hole" likely refers to both his time in prison and also the social and economic "hole" that was, for the artist, the current fate of the Spanish people. Here, Ortega depicts a man in everyday garb, pushing against a partially-unseen barrier.
Physical Description
This woodblock print depicts a man in trousers and a jacket compacted into the space of the print. The man is kneeling on his left knee while his right foot is raised and pushed up against a surface on the left of the image. Both of his arms are raised, with the left jutting out towards the viewer and the palm of his hand is fully visible. The numbered and print is signed (l.c.) "3 Pepe Ortega" in pencil.
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.
1954/1.59
Title
El bache
Artist(s)
José Ortega
Artist Nationality
Spanish (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
circa 1952-1953
Medium & Support
woodblock print on paper
Dimensions
7 1/8 in x 5 1/8 in (18.1 cm x 13.02 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Subject matter
This is one of a series of ten works created for a portfolio titled "el Terror" or "The Terror." In 1947, Ortega was sentenced to ten years in prison for his anti-Franco activism, though he only served five years. This portfolio was created just after he was resleased from prison and before he left for Paris, where he received a scholarship to take classes at l'Ecole Estionne and la Ecole de beaux arts. In the series of ten prints, his recent prison experiences were highlighted.
In this, the third of ten prints, the title "The Hole" likely refers to both his time in prison and also the social and economic "hole" that was, for the artist, the current fate of the Spanish people. Here, Ortega depicts a man in everyday garb, pushing against a partially-unseen barrier.
Physical Description
This woodblock print depicts a man in trousers and a jacket compacted into the space of the print. The man is kneeling on his left knee while his right foot is raised and pushed up against a surface on the left of the image. Both of his arms are raised, with the left jutting out towards the viewer and the palm of his hand is fully visible. The numbered and print is signed (l.c.) "3 Pepe Ortega" in pencil.
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.
José Ortega
El bache
woodblock print on paper
7 1/8 in x 5 1/8 in (18.1 cm x 13.02 cm)
Museum Purchase
El bache
woodblock print on paper
7 1/8 in x 5 1/8 in (18.1 cm x 13.02 cm)
Museum Purchase
Speak No Evil (2020)
Composed by Ari Sussman (Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition 2021). Performed by Jimmy Cunningham (Bachelor of Music in Performance - Viola, 2021) Megan Rohrer (Master of Music in Performance - Violin, 2020).
Read more about the Musical Labels projectConstructing a Scene
Accession Number
1991/2.51
Title
Charles Weidman—Lynchtown—(Humphrey-Weidman group)
Artist(s)
Barbara Morgan
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1938, printed 1980
Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper
Dimensions
16 in x 20 in (40.64 cm x 50.8 cm);22 1/8 in x 28 3/16 in (56.2 cm x 71.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Willard and Barbara Morgan Archives.
Subject matter
Barbara Morgan photographed modern dance in New York City, exploring themes of ephemeral gesture and the depiction of crucial moments in sequences of movement. In this photograph, she photographed the Humphrey-Weidman group performing choreographer Charles Weidman's "Lynch Town" from his "Atavisms" series.
Physical Description
A group of dancers caught in motion; all leaping in the air in synchrony with their bodies hunched over.
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.
1991/2.51
Title
Charles Weidman—Lynchtown—(Humphrey-Weidman group)
Artist(s)
Barbara Morgan
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1938, printed 1980
Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper
Dimensions
16 in x 20 in (40.64 cm x 50.8 cm);22 1/8 in x 28 3/16 in (56.2 cm x 71.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Willard and Barbara Morgan Archives.
Subject matter
Barbara Morgan photographed modern dance in New York City, exploring themes of ephemeral gesture and the depiction of crucial moments in sequences of movement. In this photograph, she photographed the Humphrey-Weidman group performing choreographer Charles Weidman's "Lynch Town" from his "Atavisms" series.
Physical Description
A group of dancers caught in motion; all leaping in the air in synchrony with their bodies hunched over.
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.
Barbara Morgan
Charles Weidman—Lynchtown—(Humphrey-Weidman group)
gelatin silver print on paper
16 in x 20 in (40.64 cm x 50.8 cm);22 1/8 in x 28 3/16 in (56.2 cm x 71.6 cm)
Gift of the Willard and Barbara Morgan Archives.
Charles Weidman—Lynchtown—(Humphrey-Weidman group)
gelatin silver print on paper
16 in x 20 in (40.64 cm x 50.8 cm);22 1/8 in x 28 3/16 in (56.2 cm x 71.6 cm)
Gift of the Willard and Barbara Morgan Archives.
Accession Number
2009/1.470
Title
Key and Cue No. 1182 (Remembrance has a rear and front)
Artist(s)
Roni Horn
Object Creation Date
1994
Medium & Support
cast plastic and aluminum
Dimensions
75 ¼ in x 2 in x 2 in (191.14 cm x 5.08 cm x 5.08 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Joan Binkow
Label copy
Working across a range of media, Roni Horn often explores the relationship between words and materials. Horn’s Key and Cue sculptures transform language into a physical form that is both text and physical presence. This duality is reflected not only in the text itself—“Remembrance has a Rear and Front”—but also in the way that the work invites viewing from multiple perspectives. Seen from one angle, the text forms an abstract pattern, while from another it emerges as a poetic phrase: the first line of Emily Dickinson’s poem number 1182.
Remembrance has a Rear and Front –
‘Tis something like a House –
It has a Garret also
For Refuse and the Mouse.
Besides the deepest Cellar
That ever Mason laid --
Look to it by its Fathoms
Ourselves be not pursued --
Jacob Proctor, Associate Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art
------------------------------
6/28/10
Roni Horn (United States, born 1955)
Key and Cue No. 1182
1994
Aluminum and plastic
Gift of an anonymous donor
Working across a range of media, Roni Horn often explores the relationship between words and materials. Horn’s Key and Cue sculptures transform language into a physical form that is both text and physical presence. This duality is reflected not only in the text itself—“Remembrance has a Rear and Front”—but also in the way that the work invites viewing from multiple perspectives. Seen from one angle, the text forms an abstract pattern, while from another it emerges as a poetic phrase: the first line of Emily Dickinson’s poem number 1182.
Remembrance has a Rear and Front—
’Tis something like a House —
It has a Garret also
For Refuse and the Mouse.
Besides the deepest Cellar
That ever Mason laid—
Look to it by its Fathoms
Ourselves be not pursued—
Subject matter
One of a series of sculptures in which Horn transforms language into a physical form. Seen from one angle, the text forms an abstract pattern, while from another it emerges as a poetic phrase: the first line of Emily Dickinson’s poem number 1182.
Physical Description
Aluminum shaft with block letters cast in black plastic.
Primary Object Classification
Sculpture
Primary Object Type
abstract sculpture
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.
2009/1.470
Title
Key and Cue No. 1182 (Remembrance has a rear and front)
Artist(s)
Roni Horn
Object Creation Date
1994
Medium & Support
cast plastic and aluminum
Dimensions
75 ¼ in x 2 in x 2 in (191.14 cm x 5.08 cm x 5.08 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Joan Binkow
Label copy
Working across a range of media, Roni Horn often explores the relationship between words and materials. Horn’s Key and Cue sculptures transform language into a physical form that is both text and physical presence. This duality is reflected not only in the text itself—“Remembrance has a Rear and Front”—but also in the way that the work invites viewing from multiple perspectives. Seen from one angle, the text forms an abstract pattern, while from another it emerges as a poetic phrase: the first line of Emily Dickinson’s poem number 1182.
Remembrance has a Rear and Front –
‘Tis something like a House –
It has a Garret also
For Refuse and the Mouse.
Besides the deepest Cellar
That ever Mason laid --
Look to it by its Fathoms
Ourselves be not pursued --
Jacob Proctor, Associate Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art
------------------------------
6/28/10
Roni Horn (United States, born 1955)
Key and Cue No. 1182
1994
Aluminum and plastic
Gift of an anonymous donor
Working across a range of media, Roni Horn often explores the relationship between words and materials. Horn’s Key and Cue sculptures transform language into a physical form that is both text and physical presence. This duality is reflected not only in the text itself—“Remembrance has a Rear and Front”—but also in the way that the work invites viewing from multiple perspectives. Seen from one angle, the text forms an abstract pattern, while from another it emerges as a poetic phrase: the first line of Emily Dickinson’s poem number 1182.
Remembrance has a Rear and Front—
’Tis something like a House —
It has a Garret also
For Refuse and the Mouse.
Besides the deepest Cellar
That ever Mason laid—
Look to it by its Fathoms
Ourselves be not pursued—
Subject matter
One of a series of sculptures in which Horn transforms language into a physical form. Seen from one angle, the text forms an abstract pattern, while from another it emerges as a poetic phrase: the first line of Emily Dickinson’s poem number 1182.
Physical Description
Aluminum shaft with block letters cast in black plastic.
Primary Object Classification
Sculpture
Primary Object Type
abstract sculpture
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.
Roni Horn
Key and Cue No. 1182 (Remembrance has a rear and front)
cast plastic and aluminum
75 ¼ in x 2 in x 2 in (191.14 cm x 5.08 cm x 5.08 cm)
Gift of Joan Binkow
Key and Cue No. 1182 (Remembrance has a rear and front)
cast plastic and aluminum
75 ¼ in x 2 in x 2 in (191.14 cm x 5.08 cm x 5.08 cm)
Gift of Joan Binkow
Accession Number
1980/2.228
Title
Plywood with Roller Marks #1
Artist(s)
John Clem Clarke
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1974
Medium & Support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
84 1/8 in. x 58 1/8 in. ( 213.7 cm x 147.6 cm )
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Marvin E. Klein
Primary Object Classification
Painting
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.
1980/2.228
Title
Plywood with Roller Marks #1
Artist(s)
John Clem Clarke
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1974
Medium & Support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
84 1/8 in. x 58 1/8 in. ( 213.7 cm x 147.6 cm )
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Marvin E. Klein
Primary Object Classification
Painting
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.
John Clem Clarke
Plywood with Roller Marks #1
oil on canvas
84 1/8 in. x 58 1/8 in. ( 213.7 cm x 147.6 cm )
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Marvin E. Klein
Plywood with Roller Marks #1
oil on canvas
84 1/8 in. x 58 1/8 in. ( 213.7 cm x 147.6 cm )
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Marvin E. Klein
Accession Number
1991/2.69
Title
Cloud and Ladder
Artist(s)
Jirí Kubovy
Object Creation Date
1987
Medium & Support
collage and paint on paper
Dimensions
5 15/16 in x 8 1/4 in (15.08 cm x 20.96 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
collage
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.
1991/2.69
Title
Cloud and Ladder
Artist(s)
Jirí Kubovy
Object Creation Date
1987
Medium & Support
collage and paint on paper
Dimensions
5 15/16 in x 8 1/4 in (15.08 cm x 20.96 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
collage
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.
Jirí Kubovy
Cloud and Ladder
collage and paint on paper
5 15/16 in x 8 1/4 in (15.08 cm x 20.96 cm)
Gift of the artist
Cloud and Ladder
collage and paint on paper
5 15/16 in x 8 1/4 in (15.08 cm x 20.96 cm)
Gift of the artist
Accession Number
1996/1.61
Title
Constructors
Artist(s)
Fernand Léger
Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
1955
Medium & Support
color lithograph on wove paper
Dimensions
19 13/16 x 25 in. (50.32 x 63.5 cm);26 1/4 x 3 1/4 in. (66.52 x 8.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Emil Weddige Collection
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.
1996/1.61
Title
Constructors
Artist(s)
Fernand Léger
Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
1955
Medium & Support
color lithograph on wove paper
Dimensions
19 13/16 x 25 in. (50.32 x 63.5 cm);26 1/4 x 3 1/4 in. (66.52 x 8.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Emil Weddige Collection
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.
Fernand Léger
Constructors
color lithograph on wove paper
19 13/16 x 25 in. (50.32 x 63.5 cm);26 1/4 x 3 1/4 in. (66.52 x 8.1 cm)
Gift of the Emil Weddige Collection
Constructors
color lithograph on wove paper
19 13/16 x 25 in. (50.32 x 63.5 cm);26 1/4 x 3 1/4 in. (66.52 x 8.1 cm)
Gift of the Emil Weddige Collection
Co-Constructing (2020)
Composed and performed by Virago: Sofia Carbonara (Bachelor of Music in Performance - Percussion, 2020), Wesley Hornpetrie (Specialist of Music in Performance - cello 2018), BethAnne Kunert (Master of Music in Performance - Saxophone, 2019), Megan Rohrer (Master of Music in Performance - Violin, 2020), and Kaleigh Wilder (Master of Music in Improvisation - Saxophone, 2019).
Community Blocks
Accession Number
1988/1.100
Title
Simpsonville
Artist(s)
Edward Avedisian
Object Creation Date
1980
Medium & Support
acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
96 in x 73 9/16 in (243.84 cm x 186.85 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Garabed and Isabelle Belian
Primary Object Classification
Painting
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.
1988/1.100
Title
Simpsonville
Artist(s)
Edward Avedisian
Object Creation Date
1980
Medium & Support
acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
96 in x 73 9/16 in (243.84 cm x 186.85 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Garabed and Isabelle Belian
Primary Object Classification
Painting
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.
Edward Avedisian
Simpsonville
acrylic on canvas
96 in x 73 9/16 in (243.84 cm x 186.85 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Garabed and Isabelle Belian
Simpsonville
acrylic on canvas
96 in x 73 9/16 in (243.84 cm x 186.85 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Garabed and Isabelle Belian
Accession Number
1969/2.25
Title
Untitled Cube
Artist(s)
Alvin D. Loving
Object Creation Date
1969
Medium & Support
acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
40 1/2 in. x 34 3/4 in. ( 102.8 cm x 88.2 cm )
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
Although he arrived in New York from Detroit in 1968 a "full blown, East Coast, Abstract Expressionist painter," Al Loving had already chosen the square as his primary structure. This University of Michigan graduate (M.F.A., 1964) began to explore the illusionistic effects allowed by color, and the square evolved into a hard-edged Minimalist cube. Ten months after his arrival in New York, Loving was invited to have a one-man show at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Loving readily admits that the exhibition had less to do with art than with the political pressure that had developed out of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s for museums to increase exhibition opportunities for black artists. It was after the Whitney show that Loving moved away from the cube as a motif in his work.
Loving thought of his cubes as not only going back into space, but also occupying the surface plane and projecting, visually, out from the plane. Reacting to the idea that the history of art since the Renaissance has involved illusion created from the picture plane back, away from the viewer and into the painting, Loving has said that he wanted to "paint a three-dimensional painting on a two-dimensional ground.... [I]t seemed to me that by the end of the millennium, there should be something in front of the picture plane, to the picture plane and beyond the picture plane. All three."
Sean M. Ulmer, University Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, for "A Matter of Degree: Abstraction in Twentieth-Century Art," November 10, 2001 - January 27, 2002
Subject matter
Loving was intrigued by the history of perspective in painting and wanted to create a piece in which the vanishing point for the perspective is in front of the painted surface, toward the viewer, rather than within the surface. The result is a representation of depth that seems to protrude from the surface rather than creating the illusion of space inside the canvas.
Physical Description
A framework three-dimensional cube sits at an angle so that one of its corners appears to protrude from the center of the piece. The cube is gray, with dark gray shading on the shadowed edges, and dark and light yellow shading on the lit edges. The canvas is cut to the dimensions of the cube.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
abstract
Additional Object Classification(s)
Painting
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.
1969/2.25
Title
Untitled Cube
Artist(s)
Alvin D. Loving
Object Creation Date
1969
Medium & Support
acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
40 1/2 in. x 34 3/4 in. ( 102.8 cm x 88.2 cm )
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
Although he arrived in New York from Detroit in 1968 a "full blown, East Coast, Abstract Expressionist painter," Al Loving had already chosen the square as his primary structure. This University of Michigan graduate (M.F.A., 1964) began to explore the illusionistic effects allowed by color, and the square evolved into a hard-edged Minimalist cube. Ten months after his arrival in New York, Loving was invited to have a one-man show at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Loving readily admits that the exhibition had less to do with art than with the political pressure that had developed out of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s for museums to increase exhibition opportunities for black artists. It was after the Whitney show that Loving moved away from the cube as a motif in his work.
Loving thought of his cubes as not only going back into space, but also occupying the surface plane and projecting, visually, out from the plane. Reacting to the idea that the history of art since the Renaissance has involved illusion created from the picture plane back, away from the viewer and into the painting, Loving has said that he wanted to "paint a three-dimensional painting on a two-dimensional ground.... [I]t seemed to me that by the end of the millennium, there should be something in front of the picture plane, to the picture plane and beyond the picture plane. All three."
Sean M. Ulmer, University Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, for "A Matter of Degree: Abstraction in Twentieth-Century Art," November 10, 2001 - January 27, 2002
Subject matter
Loving was intrigued by the history of perspective in painting and wanted to create a piece in which the vanishing point for the perspective is in front of the painted surface, toward the viewer, rather than within the surface. The result is a representation of depth that seems to protrude from the surface rather than creating the illusion of space inside the canvas.
Physical Description
A framework three-dimensional cube sits at an angle so that one of its corners appears to protrude from the center of the piece. The cube is gray, with dark gray shading on the shadowed edges, and dark and light yellow shading on the lit edges. The canvas is cut to the dimensions of the cube.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
abstract
Additional Object Classification(s)
Painting
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.
Alvin D. Loving
Untitled Cube
acrylic on canvas
40 1/2 in. x 34 3/4 in. ( 102.8 cm x 88.2 cm )
Museum Purchase
Untitled Cube
acrylic on canvas
40 1/2 in. x 34 3/4 in. ( 102.8 cm x 88.2 cm )
Museum Purchase
Cross-Sections (2019)
Composed by Akari Komura (Master of Music in Composition - Voice, 2021). Performed by Akari Komura and Matthew Koester (Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance - Saxophone, 2022).
Read more about the Musical Labels projectSunday, Sunday
Accession Number
2012/2.2
Title
Ice House
Artist(s)
Gregory Holm
Object Creation Date
2010
Medium & Support
digital print on paper
Dimensions
5 ft. x 40 in. (152.4 x 101.6 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Label copy
In Focus 2013
New Acquisition: Gregory Holm
During the recent economic downturn, Detroit acquired the reputation as having perhaps the worst rate of home foreclosures of any city in the nation. Officials estimated that one third of Detroit’s houses, roughly 80,000, were abandoned. What to do with so many empty homes, considered a symptom of urban blight? Two artists with firsthand experience with this dilemma came together in early 2010 to address the situation, photographer Gregory Holm and architect Matthew Radune. Holm has long been active in his native Detroit while Radune had been evicted in 2007 from his New York apartment with only five hours’ notice. The issue of home foreclosure, demolition, and relocation is inherently political in nature. As Radune writes, “It affects the integrity and history of neighborhoods and cities alike.”
Holm and Radune proposed selecting an abandoned house slated for demolition and covering it in ice in the dead of winter. Following the completion of the project, the artists would work with the city and others to recycle as much of the house as possible—wire, glass, cement, etc.—and reclaim the land for urban farming (a positive side of city downsizing and an area in which Detroit is at the forefront). Documenting the installation, the artists proposed producing a limited edition book, a film (see http://vimeo.com/10573938), and fine art digital prints, such as this one.
During the coldest days early in 2010, the house was covered with water. The ice creates a delicate vitreous sheath that obscures the decline of the house, while the extremely long icicles provide delicate vertical accents that knit the house together. Seen in daylight, the Ice House gives little indication of the effect of the site at night. Photographed at night, the transformation is magical: the resultant structure evokes German or Nordic fairy tales set in a wood and illuminated by an ethereal unseen light source. Holm’s photograph asks us to “explore the options” available to urban environments that fall on hard times—and challenges the rest of us to imagine the best possible solutions in the face of difficult choices.
Carole McNamara
Senior Curator of Western Art
This new acquisition will be on view in the first-floor connector between the Museum’s historic wing and the Maxine and Stuart Frankel and the Frankel Family Wing from July 8 through October 7, 2013.
[LABEL COPY]
Gregory Holm
United States, born 1971
Ice House
2010
Digital print
Museum Purchase, 2012/2.2
Subject matter
This large photograph is the documentation of the artist's project in Detroit, Michigan, to enclose an entire house in ice. It is considered an architectural installation and social change project. The artist worked with architect, Matthew Radune to use one of the 20,000 abandonded houses in Detroit and freeze it in solid ice, referencing the contemporary urban conditions in the city and beyond.
Physical Description
A small urban house is seen in a nocturnal view set in winter. The house is covered with icicles hang from the gables and over the first floor windows and door. There is no illumination from inside the house, although there are lights in adjacet houses; the house is illuminated by a cool white light that, along with the house, illuminates the chain-link fence to the right and the trees flanking the house.
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.
2012/2.2
Title
Ice House
Artist(s)
Gregory Holm
Object Creation Date
2010
Medium & Support
digital print on paper
Dimensions
5 ft. x 40 in. (152.4 x 101.6 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Label copy
In Focus 2013
New Acquisition: Gregory Holm
During the recent economic downturn, Detroit acquired the reputation as having perhaps the worst rate of home foreclosures of any city in the nation. Officials estimated that one third of Detroit’s houses, roughly 80,000, were abandoned. What to do with so many empty homes, considered a symptom of urban blight? Two artists with firsthand experience with this dilemma came together in early 2010 to address the situation, photographer Gregory Holm and architect Matthew Radune. Holm has long been active in his native Detroit while Radune had been evicted in 2007 from his New York apartment with only five hours’ notice. The issue of home foreclosure, demolition, and relocation is inherently political in nature. As Radune writes, “It affects the integrity and history of neighborhoods and cities alike.”
Holm and Radune proposed selecting an abandoned house slated for demolition and covering it in ice in the dead of winter. Following the completion of the project, the artists would work with the city and others to recycle as much of the house as possible—wire, glass, cement, etc.—and reclaim the land for urban farming (a positive side of city downsizing and an area in which Detroit is at the forefront). Documenting the installation, the artists proposed producing a limited edition book, a film (see http://vimeo.com/10573938), and fine art digital prints, such as this one.
During the coldest days early in 2010, the house was covered with water. The ice creates a delicate vitreous sheath that obscures the decline of the house, while the extremely long icicles provide delicate vertical accents that knit the house together. Seen in daylight, the Ice House gives little indication of the effect of the site at night. Photographed at night, the transformation is magical: the resultant structure evokes German or Nordic fairy tales set in a wood and illuminated by an ethereal unseen light source. Holm’s photograph asks us to “explore the options” available to urban environments that fall on hard times—and challenges the rest of us to imagine the best possible solutions in the face of difficult choices.
Carole McNamara
Senior Curator of Western Art
This new acquisition will be on view in the first-floor connector between the Museum’s historic wing and the Maxine and Stuart Frankel and the Frankel Family Wing from July 8 through October 7, 2013.
[LABEL COPY]
Gregory Holm
United States, born 1971
Ice House
2010
Digital print
Museum Purchase, 2012/2.2
Subject matter
This large photograph is the documentation of the artist's project in Detroit, Michigan, to enclose an entire house in ice. It is considered an architectural installation and social change project. The artist worked with architect, Matthew Radune to use one of the 20,000 abandonded houses in Detroit and freeze it in solid ice, referencing the contemporary urban conditions in the city and beyond.
Physical Description
A small urban house is seen in a nocturnal view set in winter. The house is covered with icicles hang from the gables and over the first floor windows and door. There is no illumination from inside the house, although there are lights in adjacet houses; the house is illuminated by a cool white light that, along with the house, illuminates the chain-link fence to the right and the trees flanking the house.
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.
Gregory Holm
Ice House
digital print on paper
5 ft. x 40 in. (152.4 x 101.6 cm)
Museum purchase
Ice House
digital print on paper
5 ft. x 40 in. (152.4 x 101.6 cm)
Museum purchase
Accession Number
1981/2.84
Title
Lumberville Streaks I
Artist(s)
Jon Carsman
Object Creation Date
circa late 1970s
Medium & Support
acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
70 3/16 in. x 49 15/16 in. ( 178.3 cm x 126.8 cm )
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Jules Altman
Label copy
Jon Carsman's paintings of suburban hometown views seem at once comfortable in their familiarity, yet disquieting in their eerie mood. The artist takes a charming scene and subverts its easy appeal by exaggerating both hue and contrasts of light and dark. Eliminating tonal gradations, Carsman flattens forms. What results are pictures, that for all their reference to the real world, are virtual abstractions. While the painter's use of American architectural subject matter relates him to Edward Hopper, Carsman eschews the human presence. His writhing plant forms, reminiscent of the animated vegetation of Charles Burchfield, provide the only hint of life. Carsman's is a formal realism, in which the concern for structure and pattern is paramount.
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.
1981/2.84
Title
Lumberville Streaks I
Artist(s)
Jon Carsman
Object Creation Date
circa late 1970s
Medium & Support
acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
70 3/16 in. x 49 15/16 in. ( 178.3 cm x 126.8 cm )
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Jules Altman
Label copy
Jon Carsman's paintings of suburban hometown views seem at once comfortable in their familiarity, yet disquieting in their eerie mood. The artist takes a charming scene and subverts its easy appeal by exaggerating both hue and contrasts of light and dark. Eliminating tonal gradations, Carsman flattens forms. What results are pictures, that for all their reference to the real world, are virtual abstractions. While the painter's use of American architectural subject matter relates him to Edward Hopper, Carsman eschews the human presence. His writhing plant forms, reminiscent of the animated vegetation of Charles Burchfield, provide the only hint of life. Carsman's is a formal realism, in which the concern for structure and pattern is paramount.
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.
Jon Carsman
Lumberville Streaks I
acrylic on canvas
70 3/16 in. x 49 15/16 in. ( 178.3 cm x 126.8 cm )
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Jules Altman
Lumberville Streaks I
acrylic on canvas
70 3/16 in. x 49 15/16 in. ( 178.3 cm x 126.8 cm )
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Jules Altman
Accession Number
2015/2.153
Title
Carlos the Jackal
Artist(s)
Burhan Cahit Doğançay
Artist Nationality
Turkish (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
2008
Medium & Support
collage and mixed media on canvas
Dimensions
40 ½ in x 91 in (102.87 cm x 231.14 cm)
Credit Line
Anonymous gift
Subject matter
Very early in his career, Doğançay embraced the urban wall as his main subject matter. His larger project, termed "Walls of the World," presents representations of cities through the collaged and ever-changing graffiti of the urban environment. Each with a different set of techniques and styles, they all seek to represent a place, while engaging in contemporary culture more broadly through the use of pop culture images and phrases. As the title points out, the portrait at the top right is the Venezualan militant, known as Carlos the Jackal (Ilich Ramirez Sanchez). Sanchez was responsible for a number of terrorist attacks in Europe in the 1970's and 1980's, and came back into the limelight in 2008 with a new court hearing in Paris.
Physical Description
This painting has three main panels, created with painted frames. Within each are a series of collaged images and newspaper clippings, abstract painting, and text.
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
collage
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.
2015/2.153
Title
Carlos the Jackal
Artist(s)
Burhan Cahit Doğançay
Artist Nationality
Turkish (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
2008
Medium & Support
collage and mixed media on canvas
Dimensions
40 ½ in x 91 in (102.87 cm x 231.14 cm)
Credit Line
Anonymous gift
Subject matter
Very early in his career, Doğançay embraced the urban wall as his main subject matter. His larger project, termed "Walls of the World," presents representations of cities through the collaged and ever-changing graffiti of the urban environment. Each with a different set of techniques and styles, they all seek to represent a place, while engaging in contemporary culture more broadly through the use of pop culture images and phrases. As the title points out, the portrait at the top right is the Venezualan militant, known as Carlos the Jackal (Ilich Ramirez Sanchez). Sanchez was responsible for a number of terrorist attacks in Europe in the 1970's and 1980's, and came back into the limelight in 2008 with a new court hearing in Paris.
Physical Description
This painting has three main panels, created with painted frames. Within each are a series of collaged images and newspaper clippings, abstract painting, and text.
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
collage
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.
Burhan Cahit Doğançay
Carlos the Jackal
collage and mixed media on canvas
40 ½ in x 91 in (102.87 cm x 231.14 cm)
Anonymous gift
Carlos the Jackal
collage and mixed media on canvas
40 ½ in x 91 in (102.87 cm x 231.14 cm)
Anonymous gift
Accession Number
1993/2.13.2
Title
Untitled
Artist(s)
Glenn Ligon
Object Creation Date
1992
Medium & Support
etching, aquatint, spitbite, sugarlift on Rives BF
Dimensions
25 in x 17 1/4 in (63.5 cm x 43.82 cm);32 3/16 in x 26 3/16 in (81.76 cm x 66.52 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
Since childhood, Glenn Ligon has been fascinated with literature. This fascination led him to think about the political and social uses of languages. As a result, his art has focused on giving force and weight to the written word around issues of identity and race. Ligon selects phrases from works by writers such as James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Mary Shelley, and Jean Genet, then hand stencils these phrases onto canvas or the printing plate. Often the text becomes obscured as it progresses line by line, calling into question the reliability of seeing and seeing each other.
In Untitled (I Am An Invisible Man), Ligon draws upon a phrase from Ellison’s The Invisible Man. He transforms legibility into illegibility and investigates how people see and read—how they witness an incident and judge people subjectively or objectively. He is looking at the rationalization of race as well as self-identification. Speaking about this work, Ligon remarked that "...Ellison uses the metaphor of invisibility to describe the position of blacks in this country, as ghost, present and real but because of the blindness of racism, unseen. [My] prints work with this idea of invisibility by making the viewer strain to read the text, but making the text, through embossing, have a lot of physical presence."
Sean M. Ulmer, University Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, for "A Matter of Degree: Abstraction in Twentieth-Century Art," November 10, 2001 - January 27, 2002
Subject matter
One of a suite of four etchings, this work quotes the Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston's 1928 essay "How It Feels to be Colored Me." In it, Hurston described how she first became aware of her Blackness when she left her "Negro town of Eatonville, Florida" in the early 1900s to go to school in Jacksonville, FL. Hurston's Blackness is seen by others as a defining and negative characteristic, and she is forced to "feel [her] race." Nevertheless, she has positive feelings about her identity, and defiantly embraces her complete identity which is much more expansive than her race. She can be her whole self, without constantly being aware of what it means to be Black in America, until she is made aware of it by others; Hurston's essay also refers to code-switching. This is just one of a larger series of works that incorporate text and literature. Ligon's work does not exclusively cite texts by African Americans, but instead he appropriates a wide variety of source material in order to bring attention to the connections and relationships between his own history and collective experience.
Physical Description
This print has rows of stencilled black text in all capital letters on white background. In pencil, the print is signed and dated (l.r.) "Glenn Lignon '92" and numbered (l.l.) "27/45".
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.
1993/2.13.2
Title
Untitled
Artist(s)
Glenn Ligon
Object Creation Date
1992
Medium & Support
etching, aquatint, spitbite, sugarlift on Rives BF
Dimensions
25 in x 17 1/4 in (63.5 cm x 43.82 cm);32 3/16 in x 26 3/16 in (81.76 cm x 66.52 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Label copy
Since childhood, Glenn Ligon has been fascinated with literature. This fascination led him to think about the political and social uses of languages. As a result, his art has focused on giving force and weight to the written word around issues of identity and race. Ligon selects phrases from works by writers such as James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Mary Shelley, and Jean Genet, then hand stencils these phrases onto canvas or the printing plate. Often the text becomes obscured as it progresses line by line, calling into question the reliability of seeing and seeing each other.
In Untitled (I Am An Invisible Man), Ligon draws upon a phrase from Ellison’s The Invisible Man. He transforms legibility into illegibility and investigates how people see and read—how they witness an incident and judge people subjectively or objectively. He is looking at the rationalization of race as well as self-identification. Speaking about this work, Ligon remarked that "...Ellison uses the metaphor of invisibility to describe the position of blacks in this country, as ghost, present and real but because of the blindness of racism, unseen. [My] prints work with this idea of invisibility by making the viewer strain to read the text, but making the text, through embossing, have a lot of physical presence."
Sean M. Ulmer, University Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, for "A Matter of Degree: Abstraction in Twentieth-Century Art," November 10, 2001 - January 27, 2002
Subject matter
One of a suite of four etchings, this work quotes the Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston's 1928 essay "How It Feels to be Colored Me." In it, Hurston described how she first became aware of her Blackness when she left her "Negro town of Eatonville, Florida" in the early 1900s to go to school in Jacksonville, FL. Hurston's Blackness is seen by others as a defining and negative characteristic, and she is forced to "feel [her] race." Nevertheless, she has positive feelings about her identity, and defiantly embraces her complete identity which is much more expansive than her race. She can be her whole self, without constantly being aware of what it means to be Black in America, until she is made aware of it by others; Hurston's essay also refers to code-switching. This is just one of a larger series of works that incorporate text and literature. Ligon's work does not exclusively cite texts by African Americans, but instead he appropriates a wide variety of source material in order to bring attention to the connections and relationships between his own history and collective experience.
Physical Description
This print has rows of stencilled black text in all capital letters on white background. In pencil, the print is signed and dated (l.r.) "Glenn Lignon '92" and numbered (l.l.) "27/45".
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.
Glenn Ligon
Untitled
etching, aquatint, spitbite, sugarlift on Rives BF
25 in x 17 1/4 in (63.5 cm x 43.82 cm);32 3/16 in x 26 3/16 in (81.76 cm x 66.52 cm)
Museum Purchase
Untitled
etching, aquatint, spitbite, sugarlift on Rives BF
25 in x 17 1/4 in (63.5 cm x 43.82 cm);32 3/16 in x 26 3/16 in (81.76 cm x 66.52 cm)
Museum Purchase
Sunday, Sunday (2020)
Composer: Joe Chrisman (Bachelor of Music in Composition - Piano, 2023). Performed by Joe Chrisman, Phillip Buchman (Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies - Drums, 2023), Aaron Snyder (Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies - Saxophone, 2023), Ryan Venora (Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies - Trumpet, 2023), and Ben Wood (Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies - Bass, 2023).