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Ecology Krater II (Out Biking with Aunt Samantha)

Object Details

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Michael Frimkess combines the Greek krater with contemporary subject matter in Ecology Krater II (Out Biking with Aunt Samantha). In the 1960s, Frimkess created a fictitious character, Uncle Sam, who was a Mormon with three wives and two sisters, one of whom was “Aunt Samantha.” Encircling the body of the krater are two bicycles built for four, carrying riders of different ages. On the neck of the pot are images of endangered animals. Frimkess calls his pottery “ethnic melting pots,” making a pun on the diverse neighborhood in East Los Angeles, where he grew up.
Data Source
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Artist
Michael Frimkess, born Los Angeles, CA 1937
Sitter
unidentified
Date
1976
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance
Medium
wheel-thrown and painted stoneware
Dimensions
26 1/4 x 26 x 19 1/2 in. (66.8 x 65.9 x 49.5 cm)
Type
Decorative Arts-Ceramic
Crafts

Featured In

  • Bicycles
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