Ruby and Ossie

Artist: Sam Gilliam, American, 1933–2022
Date: 2000
Material: Acrylic on plywood with metal hardware
made in: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
Classification: Sculpture
Collection: Modern and Contemporary Art
Current Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 58 1/2 × 23 1/2 × 10 in. (148.6 × 59.7 × 25.4 cm)
Credit Line: The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie
Rights: © Sam Gilliam / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Object Number: 188:2017

NOTES

In this work, flowing passages of color interact with elliptical voids cut to reveal the space behind. In addition, the panel’s right side, mounted on a hinge, pivots forward. This interaction with the surrounding space continues Sam Gilliam’s longstanding interest in the sculptural qualities of painting, which began to occupy his art during the 1960s. Following his earlier canvas-based “drape” paintings on view nearby, Gilliam turned to industrial materials such as plywood and metal after completing several large-scale public installations in the 1980s. These projects inspired the artist to investigate architectural considerations of construction and assembly.

We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.

Related Content

The Shape of Abstraction: Selections from the Ollie Collection