Untitled (Root Figure)

Bessie Harvey, Untitled (Root Figure), 1988, painted root, beads, turkey bones, metal, plastic, and fabric , Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.34
Bessie Harvey, Untitled (Root Figure), 1988, painted root, beads, turkey bones, metal, plastic, and fabric , 37 1⁄4 × 17 3⁄4 in. (94.6 × 45.1 cm), diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.34

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled (Root Figure)
Artist
Date
1988
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
37 1⁄4 × 17 3⁄4 in. (94.6 × 45.1 cm), diam.
Credit Line
The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson
Mediums Description
painted root, beads, turkey bones, metal, plastic, and fabric
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure — full length
Object Number
2016.38.34
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2016.38.34

Artwork Description

Bessie Harvey saw her sculptural forms as revelations of the spirits that dwelled within roots and branches, identities she brought to life with found objects and paint. Harvey believed that she was creating artworks as God directed her to, listening and responding to the natural materials she used. She often painted her abstracted figures in dark colors, expressing the emotional or spiritual anguish of her own struggles. About her work, Harvey said: “I know that my art is a peculiar kind of art. What I do is what He lets me see.”
(We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection, 2022)