The Road Less Traveled
Nationality
American
Artist Dates
1930-2010
Title of Work
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.
Dinmoor 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.
This image shows a sculpture of an angel with a sword on a tree, resembling the angels populating the Garden of Eden, which is the name of this artist-created site.
Image is provided for educational purposes only. © University of North Dakota. All rights reserved.
Condition Notes
35 mm slide in excellent condition.