Untitled (Very Old Mermaid)

Copied David Butler, Untitled (Very Old Mermaid), ca. 1968, paint on tin, 12 x 30 1⁄2 in. (30.5 x 77.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2014.6.1

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled (Very Old Mermaid)
Artist
Date
ca. 1968
Location
Dimensions
12 x 30 1⁄2 in. (30.5 x 77.5 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums Description
paint on tin
Classifications
Object Number
2014.6.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2014.6.1

Artwork Description

David Butler fashioned a garden of pounded, cut, and painted metal forms around his Louisiana house. His sculptures fuse biblical imagery with characters from his dreams. The tiered layers, attached parts, and cut-out shapes created an animated array as wind and sunlight played across his installation. Butler, with other African Americans across the South, blended Christian beliefs with folk practices to create spaces that felt self-determined and protective in a world that was often harsh and unpredictable.