Constellation

María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Constellation, 2004, instant color prints, each print: 2420 in. (61.050.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2013.23A-P, © 2004, María Magdalena Campos-Pons

Artwork Details

Title
Constellation
Date
2004
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
each print: 2420 in. (61.050.8 cm)
Copyright
© 2004, María Magdalena Campos-Pons
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums Description
instant color prints
Classifications
Object Number
2013.23A-P

Artwork Description

Campos-Pons’s braided and dreadlocked hair, which meanders across the multipaneled composition, takes the shape of a spiral constellation, or a nest, the temporary home of migrating birds. She created this work, which merges elements of photography, painting, and performance, to explore the parallels between her migration from Cuba and the displacement of Africans during slavery. Each photograph can be read as a dreamy landscape or a lyrical trace of diasporic memories.

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art, 2013


Description in Spanish

El cabello de Campos-Pons, peinado con trenzas y rastas, va ondulándose a través de la composición de varios paneles hasta tomar la forma espiralada de una constelación, o de un nido, el hogar temporal de las aves migratorias. En esta obra, la artista fusiona elementos de fotografía, pintura y performance, para explorar los paralelismos entre su inmigración desde Cuba y el desplazamiento de africanos en la época de la esclavitud. Cada fotografía puede interpretarse como un paisaje onírico o una huella lírica de recuerdos diaspóricos.

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

Works by this artist (29 items)

Alexander Calder, Gwenfritz, ca. 1968, iron, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, 1969.116
Gwenfritz
Dateca. 1968
iron
On view
Alexander Calder, Nenuphar, 1968, sheet steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1968.62.1
Nenuphar
Date1968
sheet steel
On view
Alexander Calder, Maquette for Flamingo, 1972, riveted and painted aluminum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1980.49.3
Maquette for Flamingo
Date1972
riveted and painted aluminum
On view
Alexander Calder, The Antlers, 1944, plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Alexander Calder, 1971.359
The Antlers
Date1944
plaster
On view

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      • Our America Audio Podcast - E. Carmen Ramos: "Constellation" by Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons Our America Audio Podcast - E. Carmen Ramos: "Constellation" by Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons
      • Latino Artists on Race, Representation, and African Diasporic Culture Discussion Latino Artists on Race, Representation, and African Diasporic Culture Discussion

      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

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      Kate Fox
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      plaster/mold
      Not on view
      Emily Clayton Bishop, Baby Joe, 1909, relief/plaster/cast and varnished, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Miss Beatrice Fenton and Miss Marjorie D. Martinet, 1976.127.1
      Baby Joe
      Date1909
      relief/plaster/cast and varnished
      Not on view
      Joseph E. Renier, Pro Patria Medal (design for obverse), 1941, painted plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Renier, 1967.93.16
      Pro Patria Medal (design for obverse)
      Date1941
      painted plaster
      Not on view
      Anthony de Francisci, Head of Abraham Lincoln, 1926, plaster mold/cast, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Anthony de Francisci, 1966.51.5
      Head of Abraham Lincoln
      Date1926
      plaster mold/cast
      Not on view