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 (1036 items)

William H. Johnson, Young Pastry Cook, ca. 1928-1930, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.693
Young Pastry Cook
Dateca. 1928-1930
oil on canvas
On view
William H. Johnson, Portrait of a Man, ca. 1935-1938, oil on burlap, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.814
Portrait of a Man
Dateca. 1935-1938
oil on burlap
On view
William H. Johnson, Breakdown with Flat Tire, ca. 1940-1941, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.587
Breakdown with Flat Tire
Dateca. 1940-1941
oil on plywood
On view
William H. Johnson, For India and China, ca. 1944-1945, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.662
For India and China
Dateca. 1944-1945
oil on paperboard
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

      Arnold Blanch, Harvest Scene (mural study, Fredonia, New York Post Office), ca. 1937, tempera on illustration board, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the Internal Revenue Service through the General Services Administration
, 1962.8.28
      Harvest Scene (mural study, Fredonia, New York Post Office)
      Dateca. 1937
      tempera on illustration board
      Not on view
      William H. Johnson, Seated Woman in Orange Print Dress, ca. 1939-1940, tempera on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.281
      Seated Woman in Orange Print Dress
      Dateca. 1939-1940
      tempera on paperboard
      Not on view
      William H. Johnson, Seated Female Nude with Gold Necklace and Auburn Hair, ca. 1939-1940, tempera on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.197
      Seated Female Nude with Gold Necklace and Auburn Hair
      Dateca. 1939-1940
      tempera on paperboard
      Not on view