Nocturnal (Horizon Line)

Teresita Fernández, Nocturnal (Horizon Line), 2010, solid graphite on panel, overall: 721442 in. (182.9365.85.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2012.38A-C, © 2010, Teresita Fernández

Artwork Details

Title
Nocturnal (Horizon Line)
Date
2010
Dimensions
overall: 721442 in. (182.9365.85.1 cm)
Copyright
© 2010, Teresita Fernández
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums Description
solid graphite on panel
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
2012.38A-C

Artwork Description

Teresita Fernández made this artwork entirely of graphite, the same material found in pencils.

Look closely and a horizon line across a large body of water begins to emerge amid the three sections of the artwork. The top part is very smooth, almost as if the graphite has been painted onto the surface. The middle layer of polished drips brings to mind water glistening in the moonlight. In the bottom section, chunky clumps suggest the land and look like graphite in its natural state beneath the earth.

The luster of this piece is most evident if you consider it from various angles. "What animates that surface, in fact, is the viewer moving around it," said Fernández.
Description in Spanish

Fernández tiene preferencia por los materiales procesados y las formas minimalistas que invitan a interpretaciones múltiples. Nocturnal (Horizon Line) se inspiró en la historia del valle de Borrowdale en Cumbria, Inglaterra, donde se extrajo grafito por primera vez. Fernández buscó crear una imagen de la naturaleza forjada a partir de la tierra misma. Estudió el grafito para aprender cómo manipular un material estrechamente asociado con representaciones dibujadas del paisaje. Ni preocupaciones ecológicas ni el nacionalismo influyen en la visión del paisaje de Fernández. El significado más bien se deriva de la interacción entre su representación de la naturaleza y la mirada activa del espectador.

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

Works by this artist (162 items)

Mingering Mike, MOTHER GOOSE: IT'S A BOYS LIFE (MINGERING MIKE) / TWO WAY TRAFFIC, 1968, mixed media on paper and paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mike Wilkins and Sheila Duignan and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2013.8.22R-V, © Mingering Mike
MOTHER GOOSE: IT’S A BOYS LIFE (MINGERING MIKE) / TWO WAY…
Date1968
mixed media on paper and paperboard
Not on view
Mingering Mike, Ramit: VAN GOES "ON THE ROAD", 1970 - 1971, ink and marker on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mike Wilkins and Sheila Duignan and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2013.8.114, © Mingering Mike
Ramit: VAN GOES ON THE ROAD”
Date1970 - 1971
ink and marker on paperboard
Not on view

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      • Graphite! Graphite!
      • Episode 3 - Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art - Teresita Fernandez Episode 3 - Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art - Teresita Fernandez
      • Clarice Smith Distinguished Lecture Series with Teresita Fernandez Clarice Smith Distinguished Lecture Series with Teresita Fernandez
      • Graphite! Graphite!

      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.

      Related Posts

      Visiting Fellow Susana Rodriguez discusses Nocturne (Horizon Line)
      Susana Rodriguez, a Visiting Student at SAAM and NPG, discusses Teresita Fernández's work, Nocturnal, (Horizon Line), 2010.
      Susana "Xuxa" Rodríguez

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