Ulysses Davis, Beast Going Through the Grass, ca. 1984-1985, carved and painted wood with rhinestones, 35 1⁄8 x 9 5⁄8 x 6 3⁄4 in. (89.2 x 24.4 x 17.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1992.70.1
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Beast Going Through the Grass
- Artist
- Date
- ca. 1984-1985
- Location
- Dimensions
- 35 1⁄8 x 9 5⁄8 x 6 3⁄4 in. (89.2 x 24.4 x 17.1 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- carved and painted wood with rhinestones
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Fantasy — animal
- Animal — fish
- 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.