David Gilhooly, Cephlapod 5, 1971, white earthenware and glazes, 4 1⁄4 x 4 1⁄4 x 6 3⁄4 in. (10.8 x 10.8 x 17.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1980.137.30
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Cephlapod 5
- Artist
- Date
- 1971
- Location
- Dimensions
- 4 1⁄4 x 4 1⁄4 x 6 3⁄4 in. (10.8 x 10.8 x 17.1 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- white earthenware and glazes
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Animal — fish
- Object Number
- 1980.137.30
Artwork Description
Cephlapod 5 shows David Gilhooly's interest in the sea. As a child, Gilhooly and his family lived for a time in the Virgin Islands and he dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. The artist believes that animals can evoke emotional responses without the viewer being aware of it. Cephalopods are an ancient group of marine mollusks that appeared millions of years before the first primitive fish began swimming in the ocean. Indeed, Cephlapod 5 looks slimy and repulsive, as though the primordial creature just crawled out of the sea.