John McQueen, Touch, 1987, tied red osier sticks, 12 1⁄2 in. (31.8 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jane and Arthur K. Mason on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Renwick Gallery, 1996.98.7
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Touch
- Artist
- Date
- 1987
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 12 1⁄2 in. (31.8 cm) diam.
- Credit Line
- Gift of Jane and Arthur K. Mason on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Renwick Gallery
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- tied red osier sticks
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Object — written matter
- Object Number
- 1996.98.7
Artwork Description
Touch expresses what one scholar has called John McQueen's "belief . . . in the tree as the spirit of man." He has built a structure from different colors of willow twigs to suggest skin, arteries, and veins, as if the tree were mutating into a human being. The artist often includes words in his objects to complicate what we see. In this piece, the word "touch" appears in the protrusions near the top, emphasizing both the tactile quality of the basket and the physical effort of the artist as he built it.