Claes Oldenburg (American/Swedish,B. 1929)
‍1976
Etching and aquatint on paper
Collection of Kennedy Museum ofArt

Like other Oldenburg work, this simple sketch was created was an “out of the norm” experience. The butt of cigarette, also known as a “Fag-End,” was created to look like a boot on someone’s foot.  Often sketches created by Oldenburg were idea he had for larger-than-life sculptures made out of common everyday objects.

John Rood (American, 1902-74)
‍Mid 20th Century
Bronze Cast
Collection of Kennedy Museum of Art

From one angle this piece appears to be an abstract human figure, but from the side it resembles a string instrument. This piece plays with our perception of form and creates mystery as to which is being depicted. The frontal view masks the spiraling headstock of the instrument, whereas the profile hides the depth of the abdomen and limbs. From any other angle, the two figures are merged creating an ambiguous form where the boundaries of man and instrument are unclear. 

Common Name: Crocodyliform Skull
CastAge: 72 - 68 Million years BCE  
Courtesy of the O’Connor Lab, Ohio University 

When one thinks of crocodiles, the picture conjured up is most likely a large, scaly predator. However, this was not always the case.This is a cast of the skull of Simosuchus clarki, an early crocodyliform from Madagascar believed to have been herbivorous because of its unusual clove-shaped teeth. The cast supplies additional context which shows that crocodiles were not always, as initially perceived, carnivores.

Common Name: Siamang
Cast of Full Skeleton
Age: Present-day Species
Courtesy of the Stevens Lab
Life Sciences Building, Ohio University

Siamangs are endangered apes that inhabit theMalay Peninsula and Sumatra. Like other apes, they lack a tail, yet they differ from gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans in their small size, monogamous pairing, and exceptionally long arms used to move through the trees in a form of locomotion called ‘brachiation’. Siamangs expand their throats to amplify sound, making the calls of these ‘Lesser Apes’ carry over long distances.

Common Name: Aye-aye
Skull and Forelimb Casts
Age: Present-day Species
Courtesy of the Stevens Lab
Life Sciences Building, Ohio University

Native to Madagascar, the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is truly bizarre nocturnal lemur. Aye-ayes have unique features, such as ever-growing incisors (front teeth), and they were not even recognized as primates for several decades. They have several interesting adaptations including elongated, thin middle fingers that they tap on tree trunks to locate and capture insect prey.  Folklore has featured these shy creatures as bad omens, and some people believe that the aye-aye can curse a person simply by pointing at them. For this reason, they are often killed on sight, and are now threatened with extinction.

More About the Aye-Aye

Frederic Remington (American, 1861-1909)
20th c.
Cast Bronze
Collection of Kennedy Museum of Art, Gift of William Farnbauch

This sculpture was inspired by Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution at a time when the idea that humans evolved from primates was considered laughable. Cast with a bit of humor, the artist deviated from his better known western themes in an effort to understand what human evolution would look like. Remington sent one such sculpture to President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 as a gift to share this witty curiosity.

Juris Bergins
Porcelain, glazes, gold luster
2011
Collection of Kennedy Museum of Art

This playful porcelain still-life combines the artist’s Baltic heritage with Western ideas. This piece, along with others, mixes bits and pieces from classical European art painted with portraits of political figures, ideological symbols, and covered with household items such as table utensils, candy wrappers, and packs of cigarettes.

Kuna People, Central America
Mid 20th Century
Fiber/Textile appliqué
Courtesy of Mary C. Doxsee
Historic Clothing & Textile Collection

Mola is the word used to describe the colorful cotton fabric and thread panels created and still worn today by the Kuna women of Panama. Some molas are purely abstract, consisting of shapes, colors, and lines. These designs have their roots in body painting, a tradition the Kuna people once practiced to decorate themselves. When the Europeans arrived, however, the art of body painting was discouraged. The Europeans introduced the Kuna people to cloth, scissors, thread, and Western-centric values. From that point on, the designs were expressed through clothing.

1387 – 1820 C.E.
China
Ink, wood and plant material
Courtesy of Fredrick and Kazuko Harris Library Collection

Ink sticks were tools that were commonly used in the Japanese Sumie technique. The solid ink stick is ground down on a plate with water to create a smooth liquid black ink. Then the ink was used to create a painting that assisted in the path to enlightenment.These paintings were used for meditation and Sumie is still practiced today. At first glance, one without knowledge of the information above would not recognize what this object was or what it was used for. This is a prime example of how first impressions do not account for deeper connections or contexts.

Robert Willson (American,1912-2000)
20th Century
Glass, Hot glass
Collection of Kennedy Museum of Art

Only by close collaborations on the island of Murano with Alfredo Barbini could Robert Willson’s creations find solid form. His work presents themes of the American southwest, Native Americans, and ancient mythologies, making his work a mix of the old and new world. Willson’s work in glass is directly impacted by his use of color from his watercolor paintings, the medium in which he began as an artist.

n.d.
P. A. Starck Piano Company, Chicago, IL
Courtesy of the Southeast Ohio History Center

Of a dying breed, this player piano was constructed in the 1960s by the P.A. Starck Piano company. Designed to read and play music autonomously by way of paper player piano rolls, this machine was ground-breaking for its time. Now unable to perform its primary function, it sits in the History Center’s collections, never to play music again.

P.A. Starck Piano company

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