Shadow Play #1

Virginia Dotson, Shadow Play #1, 1994, birch, maple, and aniline dye, 9 128 34 in. (24.222.3 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
Date
1994
Dimensions
9 128 34 in. (24.222.3 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

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.

Works by this artist (1036 items)

William H. Johnson, Young Pastry Cook, ca. 1928-1930, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.693
Young Pastry Cook
Dateca. 1928-1930
oil on canvas
On view
William H. Johnson, Portrait of a Man, ca. 1935-1938, oil on burlap, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.814
Portrait of a Man
Dateca. 1935-1938
oil on burlap
On view
William H. Johnson, Breakdown with Flat Tire, ca. 1940-1941, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.587
Breakdown with Flat Tire
Dateca. 1940-1941
oil on plywood
On view
William H. Johnson, For India and China, ca. 1944-1945, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.662
For India and China
Dateca. 1944-1945
oil on paperboard
On view