North America Plate

Mary Douglas, North America Plate, 1990, commercial copper plate, patina, and wax, ⁵⁄₈ x 9 in. (1.6 x 22.9 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1998.113.3

Artwork Details

Title: North America Plate
Artist: Mary Douglas
Date: 1990
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
Luce Foundation Center
/
4th Floor
/
52B
Dimensions: ⁵⁄₈ x 9 in. (1.6 x 22.9 cm) diam.
Credit Line: Gift of the artist
Mediums: oil
wax
copper
Mediums Description: commercial copper plate, patina, and wax
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Subjects: Object — written matter — map
Landscape — North America
Object Number: 1998.113.3
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1998.113.3

Artwork Description

North America Plate has been shaped into a profile of the United States like those we often see in souvenir stands at Yellowstone or Mount Rushmore. The French term repoussé refers to the method of hammering the design into the metal surface from the back. The title is a pun on the geologists' term for the section of the earth's crust on which our nation stands.