Shadow Play #1

Copied Virginia Dotson, Shadow Play #1, 1994, birch, maple, and aniline dye, 9 1⁄2 X 8 3⁄4 in. (24.2 X 22.3 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of George Peter Lamb and Lucy Scardino in memory of Natalie Rust Lamb, 1995.100.5, © 1994, Virginia Dotson

Artwork Details

Title
Shadow Play #1
Artist
Date
1994
Location
Dimensions
9 1⁄2 X 8 3⁄4 in. (24.2 X 22.3 cm) diam.
Copyright
© 1994, Virginia Dotson
Credit Line
Gift of George Peter Lamb and Lucy Scardino in memory of Natalie Rust Lamb
Mediums
Mediums Description
birch, maple, and aniline dye
Classifications
Object Number
1995.100.5
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1995.100.5

Artwork Description

Virginia Dotson begins her pieces by cutting strips of wood to varying thicknesses with a band saw, which she then glues together to form a block. She removes the center using a gouging tool while the piece is turned on the lathe, revealing the layered pattern inside the vessel. In Shadow Play #1, Dotson carefully removed some of the laminate layers at the mouth of the vessel to create negative space. The angular lines combined with the light and dark wood mimic the striking shadows that sometimes appear in nature as a result of strong sunlight.