The Road Less Traveled

 

Nationality

American

Artist Dates

1930-2010

Preview

image preview

Date of Work

ca. 1976

Medium

35mm slide, digitized 2020

Collection/Provenance

James Smith Pierce Collection: Folk and Outsider Image Collection

Status

Stored

Location

UND Art Collections Repository

Artist Bio

Born in Brooklyn, New York, James Smith Pierce received his PhD in art history from Harvard University. During his career as a professor, Pierce also became an accomplished artist, whose artworks were included in important exhibitions (including a show on land art at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC) and books on contemporary earthworks and site-specific sculpture. Pierce was also a photographer, exhibition curator, and art collector.

Additional Information

Samuel Perry Dinsmoor (1842 - 1942), born in Lucas, Kansas, was an American teacher and sculptor. Dinsmoor served for three years in the Union Army during the Civil War. Following his retirement from the Union Army, and eventually from education in 1905, he began his work as a sculptor. He moved into a log cabin on a lot he names the “Garden of Eden”. The 12 room log cabin is made of limestone and is built near Wilson Lake. From here, Dinsmoor spent his time creating over 200 concrete sculptures, illustrating the Populist movement and religious ideologies. One of his more popular pieces, “Labor Crucified”, is a sculpture of him surrounded by those who he felt had crucified him: a lawyer, doctor, capitalist, and a preacher.

Dinsmoor also created his own mausoleum, where he lays to this day. Visitors can view this coffin behind a piece of glass where a double-exposed image he created of himself looking down at his own corpse is on display.

In this image, Adam and Eve are positioned below the sign welcoming visitors into the Garden.

Image is provided for educational purposes only. © University of North Dakota. All rights reserved.

Condition Notes

35 mm slide in excellent condition.

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