Dona Look, Birch Bark Basket #2001-2, 2001, sewn and wrapped white birch bark and waxed silk thread, 11 1⁄2 x 13 1⁄2 x 13 1⁄2 in. (29.2 x 34.3 x 34.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund, 2002.67
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Birch Bark Basket #2001 – 2
- Artist
- Date
- 2001
- Location
- Dimensions
- 11 1⁄2 x 13 1⁄2 x 13 1⁄2 in. (29.2 x 34.3 x 34.3 cm)
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund
- Mediums Description
- sewn and wrapped white birch bark and waxed silk thread
- Classifications
- Object Number
- 2002.67
Artwork Description
Dona Look travels throughout the northern woodlands of Wisconsin to collect bark from white birch trees that are slated to be harvested. She then sews the pieces of bark together with silk thread, creating a contrast between the methodical silk stitches and the natural grain of the white birch. Look used two different layers of bark in Birch Bark Basket #2001-2: the light part at the top was harvested from the exterior of a tree, and the darker bark of the body came from an interior layer of bark. The entire piece resembles a form that one could find in nature, like a pumpkin or gourd.