Artwork
Shrimp Bisque
Artist
Richard Nonas
(American, 1936 - 2021)
DepartmentContemporary Art
Date1977
MediumCedar
Dimensionsh. 41 7/8 in. (106.4 cm), each
w. 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm), each
d. 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm), each
w. 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm), each
d. 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm), each
Credit LineSan Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Cathleen Gallander
Object number2001.47.a-d
Copyright© Richard Nonas
DescriptionFour wood beams arranged in a square: two parallel beams on the bottom with two beams, parallel to one another, stacked on top perpendicularly.Label TextHere, four cedar beams are arranged directly on the ground, breaking with the conventional format of sculpture (placed on a pedestal). Richard Nonas uses commonplace materials, such as wooden beams, railroad ties, stone, and steel, and a minimalist approach to engage with the viewers’ space and to alter their experience of the environment. Grouped in simplified, and often serial, compositions that create a dialogue or tension between them, the materials transcend their original use to become spatial markers imbued with meaning. Prior to his career in the visual arts, Nonas was an anthropologist for ten years and did fieldwork on Indigenous peoples in Canada, Mexico, and Arizona. Of particular interest to Nonas was the way that metaphors—such as a narrative passed down through generations—and their meanings can identify a particular place or culture, an interest that now informs his sculptural practice.
(Label text, 2017)Not on view
Collections
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
