The Spinning, Spinning, Turning, Directing

Bob Thompson, The Spinning, Spinning, Turning, Directing, 1963, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1980.137.104
Bob Thompson, The Spinning, Spinning, Turning, Directing, 1963, oil on canvas, 62 7⁄8 x 86 7⁄8 in. (159.7 x 220.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1980.137.104

Artwork Details

Title
The Spinning, Spinning, Turning, Directing
Artist
Date
1963
Location
Dimensions
62 7⁄8 x 86 7⁄8 in. (159.7 x 220.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group
  • Abstract
Object Number
1980.137.104
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.137.104

Artwork Description

Figures often appear in a precarious state in Bob Thompson's art. Here, our attention is immediately drawn to a pale body in dangerous free fall. Behind the body, a winged figure rises, while characters on the ground seem unmoved by the action. The exact narrative remains elusive--is this a nightmare, an allegory, a myth?

Thompson developed his distinct style, combining figuration and expressive color, in the late 1950s. A Black American, he established his career in New York City but spent extended periods in Spain and Italy. Some of the figures in this painting were adapted from prints by the late eighteenth-century Spanish artist Francisco de Goya, reflecting Thompson's prolonged engagement with historical European art.

Works by this artist (8 items)

View all artworks
Steve Ashby, Man Playing Drums, 1973, incised, painted and assembled wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak, 1982.114.5
Man Playing Drums
Artist
Date1973
incised, painted and assembled wood
On view
Steve Ashby, Pregnant Woman, ca. late 1960s, painted and carved wood with cloth, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.231
Pregnant Woman
Artist
Dateca. late 1960s
painted and carved wood with cloth
On view
Steve Ashby, Woman in Red Dress at Piano, ca. 1973, carved and painted plywood, found objects, magazine cutouts, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.49
Woman in Red Dress at Piano
Artist
Dateca. 1973
carved and painted plywood, found objects, magazine cutouts
On view
Steve Ashby, Dancing Couple, ca. 1973, carved and painted pine, found objects, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.51
Dancing Couple
Artist
Dateca. 1973
carved and painted pine, found objects
On view