Nofreelunch Basket
2000
23 x 17 x 17 in. (58.4 x 43.2 x 43.2 cm)
John McQueen
United States
Object Type:
Basketry
Medium and Support:
Willow and waxed string
Credit Line:
Maurice R. and Maxine B. Forman Fund
Accession Number:
2000.13
Location: Not currently on view
John McQueen is credited with the contemporary revival of basketry, one of the most ancient crafts. He lives in Saratoga Springs, where he grows and gathers the natural materials that he incorporates into his works.
In the Gallery’s piece, the artist has incorporated text into the body of the work. While three complete phrases can be decoded – A PIECE OF CAKE, MISSING THE BOAT, AND A PRIZE AT A PRICE – a sense of the fragmentary quality of individual words is created as each one is picked out. The negative space of the letters suggests the way in which words are openings for ideas, while the interlocked forms of the willow branches recall calligraphic forms.
[Gallery label text, 2004]