Devil on a Root Monster

Copied Miles Burkholder Carpenter, Devil on a Root Monster, 1974, painted wood, fur, leather, synthetic cord, overall: 26 3⁄4 x 29 3⁄4 x 10 1⁄2 in. (67.9 x 75.6 x 26.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.54A-C

Artwork Details

Title
Devil on a Root Monster
Artist
Date
1974
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
overall: 26 3⁄4 x 29 3⁄4 x 10 1⁄2 in. (67.9 x 75.6 x 26.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums
Mediums Description
painted wood, fur, leather, synthetic cord
Classifications
Subjects
  • Fantasy — monster
  • Religion — Satan
Object Number
1997.124.54A-C
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.124.54A-C

Artwork Description

The primary colors and awkward carving in Devil on a Root Monster create a folk piece that is both fiendish and funny. Miles Carpenter would gather roots and branches from around his home in Waverly, Virginia, and carve them into fantastic monsters, allowing the natural shape of the wood to inspire his pieces as he transformed knots into faces and thin branches into legs. After carving and sanding the wood, Carpenter painted each sculpture with bright enamel paints from the hardware store.