George L. K. Morris, Taurus, 1965, marble, 31 3⁄4 x 11 x 8 3⁄4 in. (80.7 x 28.0 x 22.3 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Stanley and Eleanor Zuckerman, 1991.174
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Taurus
- Artist
- Date
- 1965
- Location
- Dimensions
- 31 3⁄4 x 11 x 8 3⁄4 in. (80.7 x 28.0 x 22.3 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Stanley and Eleanor Zuckerman
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- marble
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Abstract
- Object Number
- 1991.174
Artwork Description
In his paintings and sculptures, George L. K. Morris used the direction and weight of abstract shapes to express a tension between movement and stillness. During the 1960s, he devoted all of his time to painting and sculpture in his studio in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. Morris carved this piece from pale pink marble, polishing the surface to a smooth finish that highlights the natural striations of pink and gray. The hornlike protrusions may have been inspired by Taurus, the great white bull from Greek mythology who was thought to be the god Zeus in disguise.