Black Shore Dunes

Seong Moy, Black Shore Dunes, ca. 1955-1965, brush and ink and ink wash on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1969.35.28, © 1965, Seong Moy
Copied Seong Moy, Black Shore Dunes, ca. 1955-1965, brush and ink and ink wash on paper, sheet and image: 19 5⁄8 x 24 1⁄8 in. (49.8 x 61.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1969.35.28, © 1965, Seong Moy

Artwork Details

Title
Black Shore Dunes
Artist
Date
ca. 1955-1965
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet and image: 19 5⁄8 x 24 1⁄8 in. (49.8 x 61.3 cm)
Copyright
© 1965, Seong Moy
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
brush and ink and ink wash on paper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1969.35.28
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1969.35.28

Artwork Description

The gestural lines of Black Shore Dunes recalls the calligraphic lines of Chinese landscape drawings. Moy was born in China and came to the United States when he was ten years old. He owned a home in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he spent summers. The beaches of Provincetown are distinguished by vast stretches of dunes where many artists spent long hours drawing and painting. Although this drawing appears to be entirely abstract, careful examination reveals dunes in the lower half and a sun in the upper left corner of the composition. The black washes suggest the humid atmosphere, while the quickly drawn lines give a sense of open, windswept spaces.

Graphic Masters II: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2009