Sharon Massey, Touch (in the time of corona), 2020, copper, overall_1: 5 in. × 3 1⁄2 in. × 1⁄4 in. (12.7 × 8.9 × 0.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Kenneth R. Trapp Acquisitions Fund, 2021.33
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Touch (in the time of corona)
- Artist
- Date
- 2020
- Location
- Dimensions
- overall_1: 5 in. × 3 1⁄2 in. × 1⁄4 in. (12.7 × 8.9 × 0.6 cm)
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase through the Kenneth R. Trapp Acquisitions Fund
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- copper
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Dress — accessory — jewelry
- Object Number
- 2021.33
Artwork Description
Metalsmith Sharon Massey created this deeply personal work in 2020 following the death of her husband’s grandmother during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the funeral, Massey’s husband was unable to console his mother because of the need to maintain physical distance. Massey etched his fingerprints onto copper, intending them to be held and caressed like worry or prayer beads. The piece is a reminder of the centrality of touch, not just in craft, but in our everyday lives.
This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022
Exhibitions
May 13, 2022–April 2, 2023
This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World showcases the dynamic landscape of American craft today.
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