Darryl Abraham, Honeymoon Motel, 1973, mixed media: wood, plaster and waterbase paint on paper, 12 7⁄8 x 23 3⁄4 x 13 5⁄8 in. (32.6 x 60.3 x 34.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1975.22
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Honeymoon Motel
- Artist
- Date
- 1973
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 12 7⁄8 x 23 3⁄4 x 13 5⁄8 in. (32.6 x 60.3 x 34.5 cm)
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase
- Mediums Description
- mixed media: wood, plaster and waterbase paint on paper
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Figure male — full length
- Architecture Exterior — commercial — hotel
- Object Number
- 1975.22
Artwork Description
Darryl Abraham based Honeymoon Motel on a motel near Niagara Falls, which has long been known as the honeymoon capital of the world. The artist first saw the building during a road trip with his father along Route 15 in upstate New York. Years later, Abraham remembered the motel, which has since closed down, and created this sculpture to symbolize what can happen to a marriage when the excitement of the honeymoon is over. The crumbling slates and ramshackle railings offer newlyweds a wry warning of the dangers of neglecting their relationship.