Search Collections
Georgia Stele
1999
Jesús Moroles
Born: Corpus Christi, Texas 1950
Georgia gray granite
82 x 12 1/4 x 8 in. (208.3 x 31.1 x 20.3 cm.)
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Gift of the artist
1999.25
Smithsonian American Art Museum
3rd Floor, Luce Foundation Center
"I want my art to be about man touching stone . . ." Jesús Moroles, quoted in Adlmann, Moroles, 2003
In April 1999, Jesús Moroles brought the unfinished Georgia Stele to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He uncovered the sculpture and began to hammer stone chips off of the top, encouraging visitors to join in. Moroles then removed a few more and declared the piece finished, stating that if another chip were removed the sculpture would be a total loss and could never be repaired. This unexpected performance demonstrated Moroles's belief that sculptures are sacred objects that should belong to all people, and not just the artist or a museum. Nevertheless, he claimed creative ownership over the work by declaring that the work was done and could no longer be altered.
- This object is featured in the Luce Center's Mix Tape.
For more information about this work visit the Luce Foundation Center.
Keywords
Abstract
sculpture
stone - granite
About Jesús Moroles
Born: Corpus Christi, Texas 1950
Social Media @ American Art