Preamble

Media - 1988.39 - SAAM-1988.39_1 - 10496
Copied Mike Wilkins, Preamble, 1987, painted metal on vinyl and wood, 96 x 96 in. (243.8 x 243.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Nissan Motor Corporation in U.S.A., 1988.39

Artwork Details

Title
Preamble
Artist
Date
1987
Location
Dimensions
96 x 96 in. (243.8 x 243.8 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Nissan Motor Corporation in U.S.A.
Mediums
Mediums Description
painted metal on vinyl and wood
Classifications
Keywords
  • Still life
  • History — United States — Constitution
  • Architecture — vehicle — detail
Object Number
1988.39
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1988.39

Artwork Description

In a show of American ingenuity, Mike Wilkins utilized a collection of vanity license plates to phonetically spell out the preamble to the US Constitution in abbreviated script. All fifty states and the District of Columbia are represented in alphabetical order. Though the plates rarely make sense on their own, together they re-create one of the greatest documents in American history. This work represents the meaning of the phrase "the United States" with a fun twist.

Smithsonian American Art Museum: Commemorative Guide. Nashville, TN: Beckon Books, 2015.