Black and White

Louis Schanker, Black and White, 1964, wood: birch, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Louis Schanker, 1968.136
Copied Louis Schanker, Black and White, 1964, wood: birch, 25 1⁄4 x 11 3⁄8 x 10 7⁄8 in. (64.0 x 28.8 x 27.6 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Louis Schanker, 1968.136

Artwork Details

Title
Black and White
Artist
Date
1964
Location
Dimensions
25 1⁄4 x 11 3⁄8 x 10 7⁄8 in. (64.0 x 28.8 x 27.6 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Louis Schanker
Mediums
Mediums Description
wood: birch
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1968.136
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1968.136

Artwork Description

During the 1950s and 1960s, Louis Schanker moved away from the figurative references in his work and began making sculptures and paintings that were completely abstract. Black and White was carved from a solid piece of birchwood. The composition explores the relationship between the natural shape of the wood and the geometric form of the two spheres. Schanker painted part of the piece black to create contrasts between the dark and light spheres, and the outside and inside of the wood.