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Joyce J. Scott

Spirit Siamese Twins, 2000-2002

Description

Maker

  • Joyce J. Scott, b. 1948, American

Title

Spirit Siamese Twins

Year

2000-2002

Medium

Beads, wire, glass, wood, and thread

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • glass,
  • wire,
  • wood,
  • thread

Dimensions

45.7 x 36.8 x 25.4 cm (18 x 14 1/2 x 10 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

signed on bottom of bottle."Spirit Siamese Twins" 2000 in white crayon on felt, with artists signature

Type

  • Sculpture

Credit

Mary B. Jackson Fund

Object Number

2005.30

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

The Phantom of Liberty

May 4 - December 30, 2018

I believe it’s about the importance of twins as luck, good especially (such as in Africa), or bad (such as in Korea). Something is being elevated just because they exist differently. They may hold no other powers. –Joyce J. Scott

The Figure

March 12, 2010 - March 3, 2011

Made from a found bottle, beads, and wooden elements, this sculpture considers cultural perceptions of twins. Baltimore based artist Joyce Scott hails from a diverse background that includes African, Native American, and Scottish ancestry. The artist’s complex roots are reflected in this work, which is imbued with aesthetic and symbolic conventions of African, Native American, Mexican, and Korean cultures. In Africa twins represent good luck, whereas in Korea they are considered a bad omen. The twins in this work are skeletons, echoing Mexican Day of the Dead figures, which represent the inevitability of death. They emerge from a larger, green-beaded figure that symbolizes a life-giving maternal force. While distinct, the twins are linked together and originate from the same place. Thus the piece addresses cultural differences, while underscoring cultural interconnections.

Bodies of Evidence

July 1 - September 25, 2005

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in Copyright. This object is Spirit Siamese Twins with the accession number of 2005.30. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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