Object Details
Artist
Thornton Dial, Sr.
Date
1992
Medium
Watercolor
Dimensions
22 1/2 × 30 inches (57.2 × 76.2 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Barbara and James Sellman, MD
Object
Number
2003.076.001
Thornton Dial may be best known for his constructions incorporating found objects, or his densely la(…)
Thornton Dial may be best known for his constructions incorporating found objects, or his densely layered wall pieces, built out from foundations of plywood. The Johnson Museum’s watercolors, rendered with more traditional media, are among his earliest formal drawings. In his works on paper, Dial often depicted women, fish, cats, nesting birds, roosters, and other animals. These symbolic figures resonate with the artist’s memories and experiences of life in the Deep South, his observations on the dynamic between men and women, and his religious faith. (“The Best Way to Prepare Bananas: Fruits of the Soul from the Permanent Collection,” curated by Matt Conway and presented at the Johnson Museum June 24-August 13, 2017)
