Collections

Functionary Project #880

Functionary Project #880 - Painting
Accession #: 4395.22
Title: Functionary Project #880
Object Type: Painting
Participants:
Physical Description: Ink on tea stained vellum on panel. The panel is separated into 20 squares and on each of the squares are a variety of different silhouette portraits of different sizes and styles.
Description: In this older work, Harris says he "started using heads in my work several years ago after seeing a photograph of the walls of a student lock-up (studentenharzer) at the University of Heidelberg. The heads were drawn on the walls over a period of time several centuries ago. The image was very haunting and something clicked for me. They were painted as an act of self affirmation, as if to say, 'I am here, I am alive,' perhaps at a time when the person wondered if anyone remembered or thought of him. This feeling is universal. "I became interested in the traditional art of silhouette making because it had the same purpose. These heads represent souls for me, souls without bodies. The silhouette is a leveling force that cuts through race, sex, culture and time. These are souls that keep me company in my studio."
Category: Art
Dimensions:
Object H x W 15.5 x 15.75"
Materials/Techniques:
Ink; vellum; panel (Material)
Credit Line: Gift of the Washington Art Consortium through gift of Safeco Insurance, a member of the Liberty Mutual Group, 2017
Copyright:
fair use
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Through the protection of Fair Use (section 107, title 17, U.S. Code), we are able to provide thumbnail images of works in our collection for which we may not hold the rights. If you are the current rights holder to a work housed in our permanent collection, we would like to make your works available for educational use. Please contact the Registrar to discuss reproduction permissions.

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