Artwork
Two Birds
Artist
Eddie Arning
(American, 1898 - 1993)
DepartmentAmerican Art
Date1966
Dimensions24 x 18 in. (61 x 45.7 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Z. Pincoffs in memory of her husband, Edmund L. Pincoffs
Object number95.28.5
Copyright© Estate of Eddie Arning
GeographyPlace madeUnited States, North and Central America
DescriptionTwo birds that appear stacked vertically and facing left against a dark blue background. Both birds are bright orange. The bird on top has turquoise markings on its head, wing, and tail. Forms are flat, well-defined, and richly colored.Label TextBecause of mental illness, Eddie Arning spent sixty-four years in and out hospitals and institutions in Texas. In 1964, a teacher at the hospital offered him wax crayons, paper, and coloring books. While the flat, restricted forms of coloring books seemed to have shaped his visual sensibility, his ability to master more complex arrangements of figures, colors, and patterns grew rapidly, as did his repertoire of materials and images. Arning’s early works are autobiographical, drawn from his memories of growing up on his father’s farm in Germania, Texas, about fifty miles northwest of Houston. Later, the artist found inspiration in newspaper stories, magazine photos, advertisements, and other material from pop culture. Arning eventually began to work in oil pastels, which lent a soft, glowing, almost floating quality to his shapes. In the early 1970s, after being discharged from a nursing home and moving in with his widowed sister, Arning’s long-established creative and physical equilibrium was disrupted and he ceased drawing.
(Suzanne Weaver, 2019, Group Label)ProvenancePurchased from Alexander Sackton, the artist's benefactor, circa 1973.Signedverso lower right corner in pencil "Eddie Arning" and "496"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.
