Yang Na

Tony Berlant, Yang Na, 1984-1986, sheet metal, wood, steel brads, 28 x 28 x 28 in. (71.1 x 71.1 x 71.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Gerald and Kathleen Peters, 2008.29

Artwork Details

Title: Yang Na
Artist: Tony Berlant
Date: 1984-1986
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 28 x 28 x 28 in. (71.1 x 71.1 x 71.1 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Gerald and Kathleen Peters
Mediums Description: sheet metal, wood, steel brads
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Object — furniture — chair
Landscape
Object Number: 2008.29
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2008.29

Artwork Description

In Yang Na, Tony Berlant collaged colorful, geometric pieces of metal and peppered them with steel brads, creating a surface that looks like a quilt. Berlant began making cubes with found metal in 1964 and continues to work with the material, transforming discarded advertising signs, scrap metal, and storage tins into vibrant sculptures. In this work, the artist plays with perspective and spatial relationships. He placed an image of an empty chair in one of the cube’s corners, as if inviting us to sit and ponder the bucolic scene. The title refers to the village of the Gabrielino tribe called Yang Na, which later became the city of Los Angeles. Berlant's work is often influenced by American Indian art and culture, and he is an avid collector of Mimbres pottery and Navajo blankets.