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Untitled (gourds)

2000

American, born 1947

What resides inside these forms is the memory of yams. Sherry Markovitz recalls going shopping for Thanksgiving and coming upon a huge bin filled with yams and being struck by their formal properties. She made papier mache molds and then coated the forms with beads. Her tight covering was accomplished with a maze of peyote stitching and features a large array of primarily vintage seed beads which were collected from a wide range of sources. The artist prefers the uneven, subtler color choices which vintage beads offer-from old Cheyenne pink, electric lemon yellow, and "50 different whites."

Papier-mache and beads

Four part sculpture:

a: 10 1/2 x 5 x 5 in.

b: 11 x 4 x 4 in.

c: 8 1/2 x 7 x 7 in.

d: 5 x 4 x 4 in.

Gift of Anne Gerber

2003.42

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "A Bead Quiz", July 1, 2008 - July 1, 2009, (7/1/2008 - 7/1/2009)

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