Nana on a Dolphin

Last updated

Nana on a Dolphin
Nana On A Dolphin.jpg
Artist Niki de Saint Phalle
Year1998 (1998)
Type fiberglass and mosaic
Location National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C., United States
Coordinates 38°54′1.18″N77°1′45.33″W / 38.9003278°N 77.0292583°W / 38.9003278; -77.0292583
Owner Niki Charitable Art Foundation

Nana on a Dolphin is a public artwork by French sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle. Nana on a Dolphin is part of the National Museum of Women in the Arts New York Avenue Sculpture Project and has also been on display at the home of Nicole Salinger in Provence, France. [1]

Contents

Description

In the style of de Saint Phalle's work, Nana on a Dolphin depicts one of her signature Nanas standing on the back of a brilliantly colored dolphin. The dolphin is covered in bright colored mosaic tiles with a slight grin to its lip line. Just in front of the dolphin's top fin stands Nana, balanced on her left foot with her right foot kicked behind her. Her faceless head and body are orange and she wears a silver bathing suit with de Saint Phalle's signature heart on the proper left breast and black tile on the proper right. In her right hand she holds a red ball and her left hand is thrown behind her back. The statue stands on a steel pole which is bolted into a concrete block. [2]

New York Avenue Sculpture Project

Nana on a Dolphin is one of the many sculptures being installed for the Project by the National Museum of Women in the Arts. By 2015 a selection of sculptures will be installed along New York Avenue from 13th Street to 9th Street, in the heart of Mount Vernon Square. The museums efforts are in part to bring "character" to an area where "there is a lot of good stuff going on," due to revitalization programs in the neighborhood. de Saint Phalle's works, four in total, are the first in a series of installations. The museums installation of de Saint Phalle's iconic pop art works are meant to be contrasting to the traditional sculpture that graces the streets and squares of Washington. [3]

These works will remain up for one year, before being returned to the artists foundation. [4]

Installation

The artwork was installed mid-April 2010, being delivered to its placement location by way of a flat-bed semi-truck in crates. Each piece was removed and placed by way of a crane. [5]

Dedication

Nana on a Dolphin, along with the other de Saint Phalle sculptures in the project, were dedicated at 1:30 p.m. on April 28, 2010., with an evening reception within the museum. Jill Biden, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jack Evans, National Museum of Women in the Arts founder Wilhelmina Holladay and de Saint Phalle's granddaughter Bloum Cardenas, along with members of the D.C. BID, District of Columbia Department of Transportation, D.C. Office of the Planning, among others, attended the ribbon cutting. [1] [3]

Conservation

The entire selection of de Saint Phalle's works are removed during the winter for conservation purposes, only to reappear in the Spring. [4]

Reception

Washington Post art critic Blake Gopnik stated that the pieces are "less weighty than what we hope to find inside our museums." Glopnik believed the pieces were nothing like the Picasso or van Gogh works that are often expected. "They are probably best enjoyed at a nice downtown clip of 15 or 20 mph." [4]

Gopnik also touches on the idea of the works being from a woman-based museum: "Wouldn't you imagine that when a women's museum makes its most public statement yet, it would avoid any hint of decor or fluff?" Describing de Saint Phalle's works as "scary and aggressive" versus what others often describe as jubilant and goofy. Overall, he describes the works as plop art. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niki de Saint Phalle</span> French plastician, painter and sculptor

Niki de Saint Phalle was a French-American sculptor, painter, filmmaker, and author of colorful hand-illustrated books. Widely noted as one of the few female monumental sculptors, Saint Phalle was also known for her social commitment and work.

The Three Graces may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sprengel Museum</span> Art museum in Lower Saxony, Germany

Sprengel Museum is a museum of modern art in Hanover, Lower Saxony, holding one of the most significant collections of modern art in Germany. It is located in a building situated adjacent to the Masch Lake approximately 150 metres (490 ft) south of the state museum. The museum opened in 1979, and the building, designed by Peter and Ursula Trint and Dieter Quast, was extended in 1992.

<i>Nana</i> (novel) 1880 novel by Émile Zola

Nana is a novel by the French naturalist author Émile Zola. Completed in 1880, Nana is the ninth installment in the 20-volume Les Rougon-Macquart series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of Women in the Arts</span> United States historic place

The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since opening in 1987, the museum has acquired a collection of more than 6,000 works by more than 1,000 artists, ranging from the 16th century to today. The collection includes works by Frida Kahlo, Mary Cassatt, Alma Woodsey Thomas, Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun, and Amy Sherald. NMWA also holds the only painting by Frida Kahlo in Washington, D.C., Self-Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MoMA PS1</span> Museum in New York City, United States

MoMA PS1 is a contemporary art institution located in Court Square in the Long Island City neighborhood in the borough of Queens, New York City, United States. In addition to its exhibitions, the institution organizes the Sunday Sessions performance series, the Warm Up summer music series, and the Young Architects Program with the Museum of Modern Art. MoMA PS1 has been affiliated with the Museum of Modern Art since January 2000 and, as of 2013, attracts about 200,000 visitors a year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow</span> Art museum in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

The Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) is the main gallery of contemporary art in Glasgow, Scotland.

Events from the year 1982 in art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Tinguely</span> Swiss sculptor (1925–1991)

Jean Tinguely was a Swiss sculptor best known for his kinetic art sculptural machines that extended the Dada tradition into the later part of the 20th century. Tinguely's art satirized automation and the technological overproduction of material goods.

Michiko Matsumoto is a Japanese photographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum Tinguely</span>

The Museum Tinguely is an art museum in Basel, Switzerland that contains a permanent exhibition of the works of Swiss painter and sculptor Jean Tinguely. Located in the Solitudepark by the Rhine, the museum was designed by the Ticinese architect Mario Botta and opened on 3 October 1996.

<i>Stravinsky Fountain</i> Fountain in Paris, France

The Stravinsky Fountain is a whimsical public fountain ornamented with sixteen works of sculpture, moving and spraying water, representing the works of composer Igor Stravinsky. It was created in 1983 by sculptors Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, and is located on Place Stravinsky, next to the Centre Pompidou, in Paris.

<i>Les Trois Grâces</i>

Les Trois Grâces is a set of three public artworks by French-American sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle. The Three Graces were a part of the National Museum of Women in the Arts New York Avenue Sculpture Project. It was created in 1999. It is located in Washington, DC, United States.

<i>Number 23 Basketball Player</i> Sculpture in Washington, D.C., United States

Number 23 Basketball Player is a sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle.

<i>Arbre Serpents</i>

Arbre Serpents is a sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain</span> Art museum in Place Yves Klein - Nice cedex FRANCE

The Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain, also known as MAMAC, is a museum dedicated to modern art and contemporary art. It opened on 21 June 1990, in Nice, France.

Queen Califia's Magical Circle is an outdoor sculpture garden located in Kit Carson Park in Escondido, California, named in honor of the legendary Queen Califia of California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vagina and vulva in art</span> Visual art representing female genitalia

The vagina and vulva have been depicted from prehistory onwards. Visual art forms representing the female genitals encompass two-dimensional and three-dimensional. As long ago as 35,000 years ago, people sculpted Venus figurines that exaggerated the abdomen, hips, breasts, thighs, or vulva. There have long been folklore traditions, such as the vagina loquens and the vagina dentata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elyn Zimmerman</span> American sculptor

Elyn Zimmerman is an American sculptor known for her emphasis on large scale, site specific projects and environmental art. Along with these works, Zimmerman has exhibited drawings and photographs since graduating with an MFA in painting and photography at University of California, Los Angeles in 1972. Her teachers included Robert Heineken, Robert Irwin, and Richard Diebenkorn.

Ruba Katrib is a Syrian-American curator of contemporary art. She has served as Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs at MoMA PS1 since 2017. From 2012 until 2017, Katrib was Curator at SculptureCenter in New York. Prior to this post, she worked first as Assistant Curator and then as Associate Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami. She is best known for exhibitions highlighting women artists and global issues.

References

  1. 1 2 National Museum of Women in the Arts (2010). "Fact Sheet" (PDF). New York Ave Sculpture Project at National Museum of Women in the Arts. National Museum of Women in the Arts. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  2. National Museum of Women in the Arts (2010). "Images" (PDF). New York Ave Sculpture Project at National Museum of Women in the Arts. National Museum of Women in the Arts. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Jacqueline Trescott (February 24, 2010). "National Museum of Women in the Arts to turn D.C. corridor into sculpture alley". Style. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Blake Gopnik (April 28, 2010). "Sculptures add color to New York Avenue, but are they art?". Style. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  5. Broad Strokes (2010). "Nana on a Dolphin is HERE!". National Museum of Women in the Arts. Retrieved February 9, 2011.