At daylight the miserable man was carried to an oak…” from the series Searching for California Hang Trees

Ken Gonzales-Day, "At daylight the miserable man was carried to an oak..." from the series Searching for California Hang Trees, 2007, lightjet print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2012.12.1, © 2007, Ken Gonzales-Day
Ken Gonzales-Day, "At daylight the miserable man was carried to an oak..." from the series Searching for California Hang Trees, 2007, lightjet print, 3545 in. (88.9114.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2012.12.1, © 2007, Ken Gonzales-Day

Artwork Details

Title
At daylight the miserable man was carried to an oak…” from the series Searching for California Hang Trees
Date
2007
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
3545 in. (88.9114.3 cm)
Copyright
© 2007, Ken Gonzales-Day
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums Description
lightjet print
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Landscape — tree
Object Number
2012.12.1

Artwork Description

Through meticulous research, Gonzales-Day documented approximately 350 lynching incidents that occurred in California between 1850 and 1935, most of which involved victims of Mexican descent. To create the series Searching for California Hang Trees, the artist visited many of these sites and captured the likeness of trees that may have borne witness to these events. Gonzales-Day’s landscapes unearth traces of this little-known history.

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art, 2013


Description in Spanish

Mediante una investigación meticulosa, Gonzales-Day documentó aproximadamente 350 linchamientos ocurridos en California entre 18501935, cuyas víctimas eran, en su mayoría, de origen mexicano. Para crear la serie Searching for California Hang Trees, el artista visitó muchos de estos lugares y captó la imagen de árboles que podrían haber sido testigos de estos sucesos. Los paisajes de Gonzalez-Day revelan huellas de esta historia poco conocida.

Nuestra América: la presencia latina en el arte estadounidense, 2013

Works by this artist (19 items)

Philadelphia Wireman, Untitled, ca. 1970-1975, found objects and wire, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.48
Untitled
Dateca. 1970-1975
found objects and wire
On view
Philadelphia Wireman, Untitled, ca. 1970-1975, plastic bag, plastic cup, and wire, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.50
Untitled
Dateca. 1970-1975
plastic bag, plastic cup, and wire
On view
Philadelphia Wireman, Untitled, ca. 1970-1975, piano keys, bead, chain, plastic, and wire, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.52
Untitled
Dateca. 1970-1975
piano keys, bead, chain, plastic, and wire
On view
Philadelphia Wireman, Untitled, ca. 1970-1975, tweezers, electrical cord, button, and wire, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.56
Untitled
Dateca. 1970-1975
tweezers, electrical cord, button, and wire
On view

Related Books

OurAmerica_500.jpg
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art explores how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day and recalibrated key themes in American art and culture. This beautifully illustrated volume presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. Our America includes works by artists who participated in all the various artistic styles and movements, including abstract expressionism; activist, conceptual, and performance art; and classic American genres such as landscape, portraiture, and scenes of everyday life. 

Exhibitions

Media - 2011.12 - SAAM-2011.12_1 - 77591
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
October 25, 2013March 2, 2014
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge.

More Artworks from the Collection

Anthony de Francisci, James Douglas Award for Achievement in Non-ferrous Metallurgy (reverse), ca. 1922, white metal/galvano/patinated, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Anthony de Francisci, 1966.51.87
James Douglas Award for Achievement in Non-ferrous…
Dateca. 1922
white metal/galvano/patinated
Not on view
Anthony de Francisci, General John J. Pershing Medal (reverse), 1946, gilded white metal, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Gilda Slate, 1966.110.44
General John J. Pershing Medal (reverse)
Date1946
gilded white metal
Not on view
Anthony de Francisci, Male and Female Figure Medal, ca. 1940-1950, white metal gold plated, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Gilda Slate, 1966.110.51
Male and Female Figure Medal
Dateca. 1940-1950
white metal gold plated
Not on view
Anthony de Francisci, Texas Cavalry Medal (reverse), 1925, gold plated white metal, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Gilda Slate, 1966.110.18
Texas Cavalry Medal (reverse)
Date1925
gold plated white metal
Not on view