Artwork
Dragon Lady
Artist
James Surls
(American, born 1943)
DepartmentContemporary Art
Date1975
MediumPonderosa pine
Dimensionsh. 49 in. (124.5 cm)
w. 108 in. (274.3 cm)
d. 49 in. (124.5 cm)
w. 108 in. (274.3 cm)
d. 49 in. (124.5 cm)
Credit LineSan Antonio Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and contributions in memory of Nelda Cordts
Object number76.157
Copyright© James Surls
GeographyPlace madeUnited States, North and Central America
Label Text"My person is in every one of (my)
sculptures. In fact, I would go so far
as to say that all of my pieces are
self-portraits. I am always willing to
exercise my fantasies."
James Surls
In this and other works of the mid-1970s, Surls transformed wood from the trees of New Mexico into fanciful creatures that stem from dreams and the imagination. Grounded in the tradition of Surrealist artists of the 1920s - 1940s, Surls' biomorphic sculptures may be considered three-dimensional representations of the inhabitants of the unconscious. In this example, working with only a hand ax and a chisel, the artist carved in the direction of the wood grain to bring out the material's inherent organic rhythms.
(David Rubin, Label Text 2008)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.
