Number 45

Artist: Leonardo Drew, American, born 1961
Date: 1995
Material: Compressed paper, fabric, feathers, rope, rust, wire, and wood
made in: New York, New York, United States, North and Central America
Classification: Sculpture
Collection: Modern and Contemporary Art
Current Location: On View, Gallery 253
Dimensions: installed: 15 ft. 8 in. x 37 ft. x 5 in. (477.5 x 1127.8 x 12.7 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Bryant Jr.
Rights: © Leonardo Drew, Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co.
Object Number: 63:1997

NOTES

In this wall-mounted sculpture, Leonardo Drew arranged over 300 wooden panels covered with fabric, string, feathers, and other discarded objects, which he then burned, rusted, and stained. According to Drew, his art is rooted in his experiences of living and growing up in New York City, where daily life involves navigating the city’s gridded streets and organic decay. He also cites other inspirations such as the history of African Americans in the United States and a trip to Senegal where he visited a former slave trading post. Despite such specific sources, Drew likes to keep his work open to interpretation: “I think that these pieces should become mirrors. They should be a collection of ideas and never a one-sided issue.”

Provenance

- 1996
Leonardo Drew

1996 - 1997
Donald L. Bryant, Jr., St. Louis, MO, purchased from the artist through Tim Nye Productions [1]

1997 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, given by Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Bryant, Jr. [2]

Notes:
[1] Carol Green, now of the Green Naftali Gallery, who was involved with the sale between Bryant and the artist, confirmed that there were no previous owners of the piece and that Donald Bryant purchased the piece directly from the artist through Tim Nye Productions [email from Carol Greene, dated March 6, 2004, SLAM document files].

[2] The sculpture was on loan to the Saint Louis Art Museum from February 1, 1997 to August 1, 1997 prior to its acquisition. Minutes of the Collections Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Board of Commissioners, Saint Louis Art Museum, December 11, 1997.

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