Chamber

Gregory Amenoff, Chamber, 1985, color woodcut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1991.94.2, © 1985, Gregory Amenoff
Copied Gregory Amenoff, Chamber, 1985, color woodcut on paper, image: 31 1⁄4 x 37 3⁄8 in. (79.4 x 94.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1991.94.2, © 1985, Gregory Amenoff

Artwork Details

Title
Chamber
Artist
Printers
Publisher
Diane Villani Editions
Date
1985
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
image: 31 1⁄4 x 37 3⁄8 in. (79.4 x 94.9 cm)
Copyright
© 1985, Gregory Amenoff
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums Description
color woodcut on paper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
  • Landscape — phenomenon — cave
Object Number
1991.94.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1991.94.2

Artwork Description

In Chamber, the rough texture of the woodcut surface and outlines contribute to the work’s expressionistic qualities, while the rich colors lend a decorative balance to the composition. Although overall patterning and exuberant color are the first elements to strike the viewer, closer examination reveals abstract landscape and biomorphic forms, delicately printed on sensitive Japanese paper. The “chamber” of the title may refer to a mountain cave, with its religious and mystical connotations of a hermit’s retreat, or to an underwater cavern, home to mysterious creatures of the sea. Based on one of Amenoff’s paintings but considerably altered in scale and color, the print is transformed into an independent work of art.

Multiplicity, 2011