Top of the Line (Steel)

Thornton Dial, Sr., Top of the Line (Steel), 1992, mixed media: enamel, unbraided canvas roping, and metal on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the collection of Ron and June Shelp, 1993.47
Thornton Dial, Sr., Top of the Line (Steel), 1992, mixed media: enamel, unbraided canvas roping, and metal on plywood, 65 x 81 x 7 7⁄8 in. (165.2 x 205.7 x 20.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the collection of Ron and June Shelp, 1993.47

Artwork Details

Title
Top of the Line (Steel)
Artist
Date
1992
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
65 x 81 x 7 7⁄8 in. (165.2 x 205.7 x 20.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift from the collection of Ron and June Shelp
Mediums
Mediums Description
mixed media: enamel, unbraided canvas roping, and metal on plywood
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
  • Figure — fragment — face
  • Figure group
Object Number
1993.47
Research Notes
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1993.47

Artwork Description

Dial created Top of the Line (Steel) in response to the Los Angeles riots of 1992, after a jury acquitted four white policemen in the beating of unarmed black motorist Rodney King. The verdict ignited looting and rioting that lasted several days. Top of the Line re-creates the frenzy of the streets. Rope-outlined figures swirl in a dense field of color and line, grasping at pieces of automobiles and air-conditioners. Bold touches of red suggest violence; black-and-white figures symbolize racial tensions; red, white, and blue strokes, faint notes of patriotism, interweave the canvas in clusters.


African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond, 2012

Works by this artist (12 items)

View all artworks
Thornton Dial, Sr., African Jungle Picture: If the Ladies Had Knew the Snakes Wouldn't Bite Them They Wouldn't Have Hurt the Snakes; If the Snakes Had Knew the Ladies Wouldn't Hurt Them They Wouldn't Have Bit the Ladies, 1989, enamel, industrial sealing compound, wire on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William Arnett, 1992.120
African Jungle Picture: If the Ladies Had Knew the Snakes…
Artist
Date1989
enamel, industrial sealing compound, wire on wood
On view
Thornton Dial, Sr., The Beginning of Life in the Yellow Jungle, 2003, plastic soda bottles, doll, clothing, bedding, wire, found metal, rubber glove, turtle shell, artificial flowers, Splash Zone compound, enamel, and spray paint on canvas on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Partial gift of Debbie Simon and Tim Grumbacher and museum purchase, 2020.80
The Beginning of Life in the Yellow Jungle
Artist
Date2003
plastic soda bottles, doll, clothing, bedding, wire, found metal, rubber glove, turtle shell, artificial flowers, Splash Zone compound, enamel, and spray paint on canvas on wood
On view
Image Not Available
Trophies (Doll Factory)
Artist
Date2000
dolls, stuffed animals, plastic toys, cloth, tin, rope, carpet, epoxy compound, oil, enamel, spray paint, on canvas on wood
Not on view
Image Not Available
I Had a Dream, A Dream About Heavy Burdens
Artist
Date1991
oil on canvas
Not on view

Exhibitions

Media - 1995.22.1 - SAAM-1995.22.1_1 - 65784
African American Art in the 20th Century
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is home to one of the most significant collections of African American art in the world.