Beast Going Through the Grass

Copied Ulysses Davis, Beast Going Through the Grass, ca. 1984-1985, carved and painted wood with rhinestones, 35 189 586 34 in. (89.224.417.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1992.70.1

Artwork Details

Title
Beast Going Through the Grass
Date
ca. 1984-1985
Dimensions
35 189 586 34 in. (89.224.417.1 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums Description
carved and painted wood with rhinestones
Classifications
Keywords
  • Animal — fish
  • Fantasy — animal
Object Number
1992.70.1

Artwork Description

Ulysses Davis rarely made drawings or models before carving a piece. Working intuitively, he would create a rough form with a hatchet or band saw, and then use a chisel or knife to carve the well-defined shape of the figure. A barber by trade, Davis learned metalworking while employed as a railroad blacksmith. He used the blade of his hair clippers and homemade metal punches and stamps to give lizard-like creatures like this one their scaly texture. Beast Going Through the Grass is one of the few works in which he used paint rather than a wood stain. Here he defined the body of the beast with black, red, and white paint, as well as rhinestones.