Nancy Graves
Encyclopedia
Nancy Graves was an American
sculptor
, painter
, printmaker, and sometime-filmmaker known for her focus on natural phenomena like camel
s or maps of the moon. According to artcyclopedia.com, her works are included in many public collections, including those of the National Gallery of Art
(Washington, D.C.
), the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum
, the National Gallery of Australia
(Canberra
), and the Walker Art Center
(Minneapolis
). She was the first woman to receive a solo retrospective at the Whitney Museum.
. Her interest in art, nature, and anthropology
was fostered by her father, an accountant at a local museum. After graduating from Vassar College
in English Literature, Graves attended Yale University
, where she received her bachelor's and master's degrees. After her graduation in 1964, she received a Fulbright Scholarship and studied painting in Paris
. Continuing her international travels, she then moved on to Florence
. During the rest of her life, she would also travel to New York, Morocco, Germany, and Canada.
. The sculpture features three separate camels, each made of many materials, among them burlap, wax, figerglass, and animal skin. Each camel is also painted with acrylics and oil colors to appear realistic. The camels are now stored in the National Gallery of Canada
, and two later "siblings" reside in the Neue Galerie der Stadt Aachen in Germany.
Graves also created a distinctive body of aerial landscapes, mostly based on maps of the moon and similar sources. Below is a link to an example (VI Maskeyne Da Region of the Moon). Author Margret Dreikausen (1985) writes extensively of Graves's aerial works as part of a broader discussion of the aerial view
and its importance in modern and contemporary art.
Some of Graves's other works include:
state. In May, less than a month later, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer
and died the following October, aged 55.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, printmaker, and sometime-filmmaker known for her focus on natural phenomena like camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
s or maps of the moon. According to artcyclopedia.com, her works are included in many public collections, including those of the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
(Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
), the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...
, the National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
(Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
), and the Walker Art Center
Walker Art Center
The Walker Art Center is a contemporary art center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is considered one of the nation's "big five" museums for modern art along with the Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Hirshhorn...
(Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
). She was the first woman to receive a solo retrospective at the Whitney Museum.
Early life and studies
Graves was born in Pittsfield, MassachusettsPittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
. Her interest in art, nature, and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
was fostered by her father, an accountant at a local museum. After graduating from Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
in English Literature, Graves attended Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where she received her bachelor's and master's degrees. After her graduation in 1964, she received a Fulbright Scholarship and studied painting in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Continuing her international travels, she then moved on to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. During the rest of her life, she would also travel to New York, Morocco, Germany, and Canada.
Work
Graves's most famous sculpture, Camels, was first displayed in the Whitney Museum of American ArtWhitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
. The sculpture features three separate camels, each made of many materials, among them burlap, wax, figerglass, and animal skin. Each camel is also painted with acrylics and oil colors to appear realistic. The camels are now stored in the National Gallery of Canada
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
, and two later "siblings" reside in the Neue Galerie der Stadt Aachen in Germany.
Graves also created a distinctive body of aerial landscapes, mostly based on maps of the moon and similar sources. Below is a link to an example (VI Maskeyne Da Region of the Moon). Author Margret Dreikausen (1985) writes extensively of Graves's aerial works as part of a broader discussion of the aerial view
Aerial View
Aerial View is the fourth studio album by the German band Blackmail. The album was released on Friday, January 13, 2006 under City Slang Records. The album is noted for its harsh guitar melodies and mellow vocals. Crediting the album release, the band's website released a promotional e-card with...
and its importance in modern and contemporary art.
Some of Graves's other works include:
- Goulimine (film, 1970)
- Izy Boukir (film, 1971)
- VI Maskeyne Da Region of the Moon (lithograph, 1972)
- Fragment (painting, 1977)
- Wheelabout (sculpture, 1985)
- Hindsight (sculpture, 1986)
- Immovable Iconography (sculpture, 1990)
- Footscray (oil on canvas, paint, and sulpture)
- Metaphore & Melanomy, (cast bronze, 1995)
Awards
- Skowhegan Medal for Drawing/Graphics (1980)
- New York Dance and Performance Bessie Award (1986)
- Honorary Degree, Skidmore College (1989)
Death
Nancy Graves made her last works in April 1995 at the Walla Walla Foundry with Saff Tech Arts in WashingtonWalla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
state. In May, less than a month later, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
and died the following October, aged 55.
Further reading
- Dreikausen, Margret, "Aerial Perception: The Earth as Seen from Aircraft and Spacecraft and Its Influence on Contemporary Art" (Associated University Presses: Cranbury, New Jersey; London, England; Mississauga, OntarioMississauga, OntarioMississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
: 1985) ISBN 0879820403. - Graves, Nancy Stevenson; E A Carmean; Modern Art Museum of Fort WorthModern Art Museum of Fort WorthThe Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth was first granted a Charter from the State of Texas in 1892 as the "Fort Worth Public Library and Art Gallery", evolving through several name changes and different facilities in Fort Worth...
. The Sculpture of Nancy Graves: a catalogue raisonné with essays (New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
: Hudson Hills Press in association with the Fort Worth Art Museum: Distributed in the United States … by Rizzoli International, ©1987) ISBN 0933920776; ISBN 0933920784.
External links
- Nancy Graves profile National Gallery of ArtNational Gallery of ArtThe National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
- Nancy Graves profile at Artcyclopedia
- "Nancy Graves: Camels, Bones and Bronze", critical review of one of Graves's exhibitions