The Drum and the Dance

Judy Pfaff, The Drum and the Dance, 1996, mixed intaglio and lithograph on paper, with artist-designed custom frame, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David M. Maxfield, 1997.76.1
Copied Judy Pfaff, The Drum and the Dance, 1996, mixed intaglio and lithograph on paper, with artist-designed custom frame, 10 1⁄8 x 75 1⁄2 in. (25.7 x 191.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David M. Maxfield, 1997.76.1

Artwork Details

Title
The Drum and the Dance
Artist
Publisher
Tandem Press
Date
1996
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
10 1⁄8 x 75 1⁄2 in. (25.7 x 191.8 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of David M. Maxfield
Mediums Description
mixed intaglio and lithograph on paper, with artist-designed custom frame
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
  • Figure — fragment — hand
  • Performing arts — music — drum
Object Number
1997.76.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.76.1

Artwork Description

The Drum and the Dance is one of twelve prints inspired by Pfaff’s travels to Japan. The long, narrow horizontal shape of the prints in this group recalls the format of Chinese scrolls. Some of the shapes suggest sound or shock waves; other forms suggest musical scores and miniature solar systems. Asian allusions include palmistry, wiring from Hindu account ledgers and Tibetan medical books, as well as popular and folk art. Forms recur in more than one print as new elements are introduced. Each print is framed with its own hand-stenciled, painted, and silver leafed frame, inspired by the Book of Kells, and relating to the imagery found in that print.

Multiplicity, 2011