[Frog and hand in oil pastel]

Dublin Core

Title

[Frog and hand in oil pastel]

Subject

Pastel drawing--United States--20th century. [LCSH]
Surrealism [LCSH]

Description

Surrealistic pastel drawing depicts an arm and hand, in black, and a frog in a purple balloon, on right. The arm originates from just right of center at the bottom edge of the paper. The limb is unnaturally thin and long as are the fingers on the hand. Details on the hand include the joints in the fingers, the thumbnail, and creases in the palm. There's a clean-edged hole in the center of the palm of the hand; one of the frog's legs is being pulled through the hole through some unseen force. The knee of the frog is passing through the center of the hole in the hand, and the frogs leg passes out through the front of the hand. The frog's other leg overlaps the edge of the balloon; on that foot, one of the frog's toes passes over the mouth of the balloon while the other two pass over the arm. The viewer sees the frog from the bottom. Its stomach is peach colored as are the legs above the knee joint; below the knee, the frog's legs are green. The feet are the same yellow-green and the color blends into a less yellow shade of green near the frog's toes. The frog's eyes are visible on either side of its head and are the same yellow-green shade as the lower portion of the legs. The balloon the frog is inside is somehow inflated, yet not tied off. Near the bottom of the drawing, a subtle white line is drawing running along the left side of the arm; it fades away below the place where the frog's toes cross the arm. The piece is signed J. Gillett at the bottom, just right of the place the arm emerges onto the paper. The paper is thin and translucent with many nicks along the edges. It has been stored rolled with a tissue paper lining for many decades and now naturally holds this shape.

Creator

Gillett, Janice

Date

1966-1973?

Rights

All rights held by Acacia Williams

Format

Medium: oil pastel on paper
Extent: 45.5 x 61.2 cm

Type

Physical object

Identifier

JG_0014

Citation

Gillett, Janice, “[Frog and hand in oil pastel],” Wayne State University - School of Information Sciences, accessed March 29, 2024, https://waynestateu.omeka.net/items/show/684.