Lost in Translation

Copied Pat Hickman, Lost in Translation, 1995, bronze, 21 3⁄4 x 14 3⁄4 x 17 in. (55.3 x 37.5 x 43.2 cm) irregular, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund, 1997.20

Artwork Details

Title
Lost in Translation
Artist
Date
1995
Location
Dimensions
21 3⁄4 x 14 3⁄4 x 17 in. (55.3 x 37.5 x 43.2 cm) irregular
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Object Number
1997.20
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.20

Artwork Description

The broken, twisted strands of bronze in Lost in Translation capture the memory of the fibers and twigs that Pat Hickman used to build the original piece. The work evokes a disintegrating basket or vessel, expressing the passage of time and the transience of all living things. Lost in Translation is one of several works that Hickman created to convey her sense of loss after two friends and collaborators, Lillian Elliott and Joanne Segal Brandford, died within days of one another. As powerful as this piece is, the title suggests that it still was not adequate to express Hickman's grief.