Name/Title
The Tiger Knocks the Lady Down and the Midget Runs AwayEntry/Object ID
2010.1.3Description
This assemblage by nationally acclaimed vernacular artist, Thornton Dial, Sr. depicts a fallen woman surrounded by a tiger, a man, and swirling eyes, executed in mainly reds, blues and white. In the book, Thornton Dial: Image of Tiger, this painting is said to be part of a pair of works that form an analogy between pet ownership and racial inequality. In this piece, the tiger has pounced on a white woman and knocked her down, and the little person, representing African-Americans, has escaped the woman’‚s control. The swirling eyes are crowded into the background, a common theme in Dial’‚s work which represent people watching and waiting for an outcome. The Gadsden Arts Center exhibited this work in the exhibition, Vernacular Art from the Hill Collection, August 28-October 25, 2009.Artwork Details
Medium
Assemblage, enamel, vinyl, plastic industrial sealing compound, corrugated tin on woodCollection
Southern Vernacular Art CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2010.1Source or Donor
Lou and Calynne HillAcquisition Method
GiftMade/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Dial, Thornton Sr.Role
ArtistDate made
1988Dimensions
Height
48 inWidth
97-1/2 inInterpretative Labels
Label
Thornton Dial, Sr. (1928-2016)
Thornton Dial, Sr. is the most famous vernacular artist from the Southeast, whose work has shattered the art world's notion of "folk" and "outsider" art. Although Dial has never had any education or art training and is from a rural town in Alabama, his work touches on themes of racial inequality, struggles in a modern world, and relationships between men and women, themes that resonate with audiences around the world.Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
July 7, 2009