Untitled (Rooster)

Copied David Butler, Untitled (Rooster), ca. 1970 - 1975, paint on tin with wood and mixed media, 20 1⁄4 × 24 1⁄2 × 11 in. (51.4 × 62.2 × 27.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Josh Feldstein, 2015.56.2

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled (Rooster)
Artist
Date
ca. 1970 - 1975
Location
Dimensions
20 1⁄4 × 24 1⁄2 × 11 in. (51.4 × 62.2 × 27.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Josh Feldstein
Mediums Description
paint on tin with wood and mixed media
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — bird — chicken
Object Number
2015.56.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2015.56.2

Artwork Description

David Butler fashioned a garden of pounded, cut, and painted metal forms around his Louisiana house. His sculptures fuse biblical imagery with characters from his dreams. The tiered layers, attached parts, and cut-out shapes created an animated array as wind and sunlight played across his installation. Butler, with other African Americans across the South, blended Christian beliefs with folk practices to create spaces that felt self-determined and protective in a world that was often harsh and unpredictable.