The Movie Star and the Tiger Need One Another

Thornton Dial, Sr., The Movie Star and the Tiger Need One Another, March 1992, charcoal, graphite, and watercolor on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.25
Thornton Dial, Sr., The Movie Star and the Tiger Need One Another, March 1992, charcoal, graphite, and watercolor on paper, sheet and image: 22 12 in. × 30 in. (57.2 × 76.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.25

Artwork Details

Title
The Movie Star and the Tiger Need One Another
Date
March 1992
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet and image: 22 12 in. × 30 in. (57.2 × 76.2 cm)
Credit Line
The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson
Mediums Description
charcoal, graphite, and watercolor on paper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — bird
  • Figure female — nude
  • Performing arts — theater — performer
  • Animal — tiger
Object Number
2016.38.25

Artwork Description

The tiger became Dial’s trademark symbol for African Americans—fierce, nimble, and regal but also feared, maligned, and hunted. Their jungle environment was a metaphor for America, a place as bountiful and beautiful as it was treacherous. Here Dial considers the power of relationships and unlikely alliances. He contrasts the social power and privilege of celebrity with the instincts and ferocity of the tiger, suggesting that each has unique strengths, and that teamwork is the ultimate tool for survival.
(We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection, 2022)

Works by this artist (12 items)

Thornton Dial, Sr., African Jungle Picture: If the Ladies Had Knew the Snakes Wouldn't Bite Them They Wouldn't Have Hurt the Snakes; If the Snakes Had Knew the Ladies Wouldn't Hurt Them They Wouldn't Have Bit the Ladies, 1989, enamel, industrial sealing compound, wire on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William Arnett, 1992.120
African Jungle Picture: If the Ladies Had Knew the Snakes…
Date1989
enamel, industrial sealing compound, wire on wood
On view
Thornton Dial, Sr., The Beginning of Life in the Yellow Jungle, 2003, plastic soda bottles, doll, clothing, bedding, wire, found metal, rubber glove, turtle shell, artificial flowers, Splash Zone compound, enamel, and spray paint on canvas on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Partial gift of Debbie Simon and Tim Grumbacher and museum purchase, 2020.80
The Beginning of Life in the Yellow Jungle
Date2003
plastic soda bottles, doll, clothing, bedding, wire, found metal, rubber glove, turtle shell, artificial flowers, Splash Zone compound, enamel, and spray paint on canvas on wood
On view
Picking Up the Pieces
Date2002
clothing, carpet, enamel, and spray paint on wood
Not on view
Support for the Works
Date1998
found metal, clothing, cire, nails, oil enamel, and industrial sealing compound on canvas on wood
Not on view