Black Shore Dunes

Seong Moy, Black Shore Dunes, ca. 1955-1965, brush and ink and ink wash on paper, sheet and image: 19 ⁵⁄₈ x 24 ¹⁄₈ in. (49.8 x 61.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1969.35.28, © 1965, Seong Moy

Artwork Details

Title: Black Shore Dunes
Artist: Seong Moy
Date: ca. 1955-1965
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: sheet and image: 19 ⁵⁄₈ x 24 ¹⁄₈ in. (49.8 x 61.3 cm)
Copyright: © 1965, Seong Moy
Credit Line: Gift of the artist
Mediums: ink
Mediums Description: brush and ink and ink wash on paper
Classifications: Drawing
Subjects: Abstract
Object Number: 1969.35.28
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1969.35.28

Artwork Description

The gestural lines of Black Shore Dunes recalls the calligraphic lines of Chinese landscape drawings. Moy was born in China and came to the United States when he was ten years old. He owned a home in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he spent summers. The beaches of Provincetown are distinguished by vast stretches of dunes where many artists spent long hours drawing and painting. Although this drawing appears to be entirely abstract, careful examination reveals dunes in the lower half and a sun in the upper left corner of the composition. The black washes suggest the humid atmosphere, while the quickly drawn lines give a sense of open, windswept spaces.

Graphic Masters II: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2009