Half Woman, Quarter Bird

Howard Newman, Half Woman, Quarter Bird, 1974-1975, bronze/cast, assembled and screwed, 24 181320 14 in. (61.333.051.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1986.6.68, © 1975, Howard Newman

Artwork Details

Title
Half Woman, Quarter Bird
Date
1974-1975
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
24 181320 14 in. (61.333.051.4 cm.)
Copyright
© 1975, Howard Newman
Credit Line
Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze/cast, assembled and screwed
Classifications
Subjects
  • Fantasy
  • Dress — accessory — hat
Object Number
1986.6.68

Artwork Description

Howard Newman casts elements from machines and assembles them into interlocking geometric shapes that resemble human figures. Influenced by the cubists and Italian futurists of the early twentieth century, Newman transforms their celebration of speed and mechanization into reflective statements about modern life. The mechanomorphic figure of Half Woman, Quarter Bird fuses images from nature and industry, offering a cautionary note that speaks to the potential for technological entrapment.


Modern American Realism: The Sara Roby Foundation Collection, 2014

Works by this artist (4 items)

Howard Newman, Temptress, 1978, bronze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1985.30.54
Temptress
Date1978
bronze
On view
Howard Newman, Half Woman, Quarter Bird, 1974-1975, bronze/cast, assembled and screwed, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1986.6.68, © 1975, Howard Newman
Half Woman, Quarter Bird
Date1974-1975
bronze/cast, assembled and screwed
Not on view
Howard Newman, Untitled, 1979, graphite and brown watercolor wash on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1985.30.53
Untitled
Date1979
graphite and brown watercolor wash on paper
Not on view
Howard Newman, Winter, 1978, bronze on integral base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1985.30.55
Winter
Date1978
bronze on integral base
Not on view

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