The Shrew

Object NameSculpture

Artist Dan Dailey (American, b. 1947)

Assistant Benjamin P. Moore (American, 1952-2021)

Assistant Robbie Miller (American, b. United Kingdom, 1955)

Assistant Richard Royal (American, b. 1952)

Made FromGlass, Gold-plated Bronze

Date1988

Place MadeUnited States, WA, Seattle; United States, MA, Amesbury

TechniqueBlown and hot-worked, sandblasted, acid-polished, gold-plated bronze

SizeOverall H: 59.5 cm; Base Diam: 26.5 cm

Accession Number89.4.2

Credit LineGift in part of Kurland/Summers Gallery

Curatorial Area(s)

Postwar and Contemporary

Exhibitions

Title Unknown (Kurland/Summers Gallery)

New Art Forms

Not On View

Interpretive Notes

Web Text

Dailey’s work is based on his observations of human nature, and while his work is humorous, it is also satirical. “The most important thing that I try to give my work is a kind of magnetic quality,” he says. “It’s something that attracts or entertains or engages a person in a way that causes an interaction.”

Physical DescriptionColorless, opaque yellow, opaque black non-lead glasses, gold-plated bronze; blown and hot-worked, sandblasted, acid-polished. Tall hollow vase in the shape of a female bust with elongated conical topknot; topknot opening has black rim wrap, length of cylinder decorated with thick opaque yellow wrap spiraling to colorless and black wraps joining topknot to body of bulbous vessel that swells to form head, one side decorated with colorless applied features with white detail on eyebrows and black eye pupils, through openings in applied ears hang large metal hoop earrings with small paired sphere details; vessel body flares out conically to form neck and shoulders of bust; wide flat base, polished pontil; inscribed "Dailey" on foot; "Shrew" on base.
Provenance

Source Kurland/Summers Gallery - 1989-01-09