Woman Dressing

David Hare, Woman Dressing, 1950, ceramic, stone, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1976.53

Luce Center Label

David Hare was influenced by surrealist imagery, which often portrayed women in a sexual or violent way. In Woman Dressing a distorted female figure has been partially covered by strips of clay. The simple act of dressing has been transformed into something more sinister, as the snakelike forms appear to glide up the woman’s body and over her face. Hare wanted to provoke an emotional response in his audiences, calling upon them to decide what exactly is happening in the sculpture. In this way, the viewer becomes a participant in the scene and “completes” the artwork.

Luce Object Quote

“Art does not exist in the work itself. It takes form at some point in the air between the work and the observer.” David Hare, “American Surrealist,” 1977

Title

Woman Dressing

Artists

David Hare

Date

1950

On View

Dimensions