Bones

Andrea Way, Bones, 1987, ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tom and Judy Brody, 2009.38.3, © 1987, Andrea Way
Copied Andrea Way, Bones, 1987, ink on paper, sheet and image: 36 x 51 3⁄4 in. (91.4 x 131.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tom and Judy Brody, 2009.38.3, © 1987, Andrea Way

Artwork Details

Title
Bones
Artist
Date
1987
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet and image: 36 x 51 3⁄4 in. (91.4 x 131.4 cm)
Copyright
© 1987, Andrea Way
Credit Line
Gift of Tom and Judy Brody
Mediums
Mediums Description
ink on paper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
2009.38.3

Artwork Description

Andrea Way created Bones through a rule based process, in which she combined strict formal guidelines with chance to determine the final composition. She began by drawing dots in a random fashion, then superimposed a three-inch grid made with dots, then added concentric circles made with white ink. The rules and patterns become increasingly complex as the layers accumulate. The title alludes to the artist’s experience of fossil hunting along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The concentric circles suggest ripples on the water through which she looked to find treasures such as shark teeth, the inner ear bones of a porpoise, dolphin vertebrae, a sting ray tooth, and Miocene fossils.

Abstract Drawings, 2012