Louis Schanker, Black and White, 1964, wood: birch, 25 1⁄4 x 11 3⁄8 x 10 7⁄8 in. (64.0 x 28.8 x 27.6 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Louis Schanker, 1968.136
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Black and White
- Artist
- Date
- 1964
- Location
- Dimensions
- 25 1⁄4 x 11 3⁄8 x 10 7⁄8 in. (64.0 x 28.8 x 27.6 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Louis Schanker
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- wood: birch
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Abstract
- Object Number
- 1968.136
Artwork Description
During the 1950s and 1960s, Louis Schanker moved away from the figurative references in his work and began making sculptures and paintings that were completely abstract. Black and White was carved from a solid piece of birchwood. The composition explores the relationship between the natural shape of the wood and the geometric form of the two spheres. Schanker painted part of the piece black to create contrasts between the dark and light spheres, and the outside and inside of the wood.