Cactus Botanical with Spirits

Paul Stankard, Cactus Botanical with Spirits, 1990, glass, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Annie and Mike Belkin, 1992.100
Copied Paul Stankard, Cactus Botanical with Spirits, 1990, glass, 63 183 in. (15.38.07.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Annie and Mike Belkin, 1992.100

Artwork Details

Title
Cactus Botanical with Spirits
Date
1990
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
63 183 in. (15.38.07.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Annie and Mike Belkin
Mediums
Mediums Description
glass
Classifications
Keywords
  • Landscape — plant — cactus
Object Number
1992.100

Artwork Description

Paul Stankard often includes tiny figures entwined around the roots of his plants and flowers. These are inspired by twelfth-century woodcuttings that incorporate human forms into botanical images. Stankard writes poems to accompany his work when he feels that his ideas cannot be expressed in glass alone. He describes his process as:

"Oxygen enriched propane

ignites fire, splashes

over glass held melting

mimicking nature . . ." Paul Stankard, Habatat Galleries

Exhibitions

Media - 2016.11 - SAAM-2016.11_6 - 124929
Connections: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery
November 13, 2015March 6, 2022
Connections is the Renwick Gallery’s dynamic ongoing permanent collection presentation, featuring more than 80 objects celebrating craft as a discipline and an approach to living differently in the modern world.