Jack

Copied Paul Feeley, Jack, 1966, formed and gilded fiberglass on steel base, 797979 in. (200.7200.7200.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Feeley Grandchildren’s Trust, 1985.12

Artwork Details

Title
Jack
Artist
Date
1966
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
797979 in. (200.7200.7200.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Feeley Grandchildren’s Trust
Mediums Description
formed and gilded fiberglass on steel base
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1985.12

Artwork Description

Paul Feeley believed that art was "the translation of three dimensions into two and of two into three." Jack is an abstract sculpture derived from Feeley's brightly colored paintings of undulating, symmetrical forms. It evokes a human figure standing on tiptoe and reaching out into all dimensions of space, like a ballerina on point or a little girl flinging her arms out and twirling "just for the fun of it." The points and curves in the sculpture create new shapes from the spaces around them, making us see the room in a new way. Jack embodies Feeley's conviction that art should be playful, imaginative, and accessible to people of all ages. The sculptor hoped that his works would encourage viewers to "ease off" and take life less seriously (Brockway, "Personalities of Painters in the '40s: Feeley, Knaths & Holt," Bennington Quadrille, February 1985).

Audio