Inviolate Portal

Betty Scarpino, Inviolate Portal, 2007, ash, oak and walnut, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jeffrey Bernstein, M.D. and Judith Chernoff, M.D., 2021.66.36
Copied Betty Scarpino, Inviolate Portal, 2007, ash, oak and walnut, 16 in. × 14 in. × 3 1⁄2 in. (40.6 × 35.6 × 8.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jeffrey Bernstein, M.D. and Judith Chernoff, M.D., 2021.66.36

Artwork Details

Title
Inviolate Portal
Artist
Date
2007
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
16 in. × 14 in. × 3 1⁄2 in. (40.6 × 35.6 × 8.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Jeffrey Bernstein, M.D. and Judith Chernoff, M.D.
Mediums
Mediums Description
ash, oak and walnut
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
2021.66.36
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2021.66.36

Artwork Description

Betty Scarpino uses a lathe not simply to turn wood, but also to contemplate metaphors of change. Inviolate Portal evokes the experience of motherhood: a tender egg held in balance for a moment, but not forever.


“There is much to discover beneath the surface of turned objects. As I cut and carve, irresistible relationships reveal themselves, as forms flow and blend together. In some ways, this process is similar to circumstances and events in my life as events weave together, drift apart, and eventually merge again to achieve glorious resolution.” — Betty Scarpino


This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022