Topless

Copied Michael Davis, Topless, 1993, enamel and acrylic paint on reed and wood, 29 7⁄8 x 18 1⁄2 x 13 3⁄4 in. (75.9 x 47.0 x 35.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Marcia Docter, 1997.16

Artwork Details

Title
Topless
Artist
Date
1993
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
29 7⁄8 x 18 1⁄2 x 13 3⁄4 in. (75.9 x 47.0 x 35.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Marcia Docter
Mediums
Mediums Description
enamel and acrylic paint on reed and wood
Classifications
Keywords
  • Object — toy — top
Object Number
1997.16
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.16

Artwork Description

Topless is Michael Davis’s pun on the shape and the “situation” his piece presents. The piece resembles a child’s spinning top or a seedpod fallen from a tree. As if obeying some natural command, the pod has popped its top, sending out a whimsical little probe that appears to be scouting a good place to plant a seed. The applied wooden ornaments and saturated colors distinguish Davis’s work from the “pure” traditions that have dominated the art of basketry.