A Year Spent At Leisure in the Shelter of the Crazy Trees, Summer
Artist
Inna Ray
(American, 1949 - 2020)
Date2013
MediumWatercolor, gouache, and color pencil on cotton paper
DimensionsUnframed: 12 x 16 in. (30.5 x 40.6 cm)
Framed: 18 1/2 x 22 1/2 in. (47 x 57.2 cm)
ClassificationsDrawing
Credit LineGift of the Estate of Inna Ray
Object number2022.11.13
Label TextRay’s fascination with the anthropomorphic qualities of nature is evident in the way the trees seem to take on human characteristics, their forms and stances full of emotion. This work features a trio of trees, a motif that holds significant meaning in Ray’s work. Her thoughts on the presence of figures in her work were captured in her sketchbook in February 2003, “Three figures seem to face me, to be looking at me — I am the one being-looked-at. Aware of each other, related to one another. Yet they mean to confront me, to engage with me ‘about’ something, like messengers.” The inclusion of Ray’s own trailer in the composition goes beyond being just a physical object and is a potential reflection of Ray herself, subtly shifting the narrative. It invites viewers to see her presence within the landscape, bridging the gap between her inner world and external surroundings. [Exhibition Label, Body of the World: Inna Jane Ray, 2024]Status
Not on view
