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Catalog Data

Artist:
Thornton Dial, Sr., born Emelle, AL 1928-died McCalla, AL 2016  Search this
Medium:
charcoal, graphite, and watercolor on paper
Dimensions:
sheet and image: 22 1/2 in. × 30 in. (57.2 × 76.2 cm)
Type:
Painting
Folk Art
Date:
March 1992
Exhibition Label:
The tiger became Dial’s trademark symbol for African Americans—fierce, nimble, and regal but also feared, maligned, and hunted. Their jungle environment was a metaphor for America, a place as bountiful and beautiful as it was treacherous. Here Dial considers the power of relationships and unlikely alliances. He contrasts the social power and privilege of celebrity with the instincts and ferocity of the tiger, suggesting that each has unique strengths, and that teamwork is the ultimate tool for survival.
(We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection, 2022)
Topic:
Animal\bird  Search this
Figure female\nude  Search this
Performing arts\theater\performer  Search this
Animal\tiger  Search this
Credit Line:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson
Object number:
2016.38.25
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department:
Graphic Arts
Data Source:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk762e1f076-2bcb-486a-ba5c-02c784bef7c0
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:saam_2016.38.25