Me, the Axe, and the Wand

James Surls, Me, the Axe, and the Wand, 1982, pine, mahogany, oak, hickory and rattan, 125 ¹⁄₂ x 53 x 26 in. (318.8 x 134.6 x 66.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Barbara and Donald Zale in honor of George and Julie Tobolowsky and James and Charmaine Surls, 2005.27A-D, © 1982, James Surls

Artwork Details

Title: Me, the Axe, and the Wand
Artist: James Surls
Date: 1982
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 125 ¹⁄₂ x 53 x 26 in. (318.8 x 134.6 x 66.0 cm)
Copyright: © 1982, James Surls
Credit Line: Gift of Barbara and Donald Zale in honor of George and Julie Tobolowsky and James and Charmaine Surls
Mediums Description: pine, mahogany, oak, hickory and rattan
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Object — tool — axe
Object Number: 2005.27A-D
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2005.27A-D

Artwork Description

Me, the Axe, and the Wand embodies the "demons lurking in the wood pile" that Surls credits for his art. This comic and menacing figure represents the sculptor's creative energy spiraling up out of the southeast Texas woods like a witch in a tornado. A house where a head ought to be evokes the home Surls grew up in, learning from his father to use tools and to improvise. The manic genie's mission is both creative and destructive. He will use the ax to cut down a tree that, in turn, will become something new and transcendent. The coiled, muscular body and ancient eyes signal the "power of singular belief" that Surls shares with the folk artists he admires and that he feels any artist needs to create powerful work.

Exhibition Label, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2006