Sham

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    Photo: Dan Jurgens
1983
Wood, wood putty, plastic beads, doll's eyes, paint
13.25 x 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Collection of
Souls Grown Deep Foundation
Description

Bessie Harvey's Sham may not be a portrait of an actual person, but it has a powerful presence in the subjects angular features and penetrating gaze. In this work one can see the effect of Harvey's method of searching for a spiritual quality in natural materials such as roots and branches. Her approach to people goes beyond portraiture for its own sake; she is less concerned with resemblance to any individual than she is with communicating her desire for a cultural and spiritual link among all people of African descent.