Half Woman, Quarter Bird

Howard Newman, Half Woman, Quarter Bird, 1974-1975, bronze/cast, assembled and screwed, 24 ¹⁄₈ x 13 x 20 ¹⁄₄ in. (61.3 x 33.0 x 51.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1986.6.68, © 1975, Howard Newman

Artwork Details

Title: Half Woman, Quarter Bird
Artist: Howard Newman
Date: 1974-1975
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 24 ¹⁄₈ x 13 x 20 ¹⁄₄ in. (61.3 x 33.0 x 51.4 cm.)
Copyright: © 1975, Howard Newman
Credit Line: Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation
Mediums: bronze
Mediums Description: bronze/cast, assembled and screwed
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Fantasy
Dress — accessory — hat
Object Number: 1986.6.68
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/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