Pinkerton, B 04-11-03
Artist: Jun Kaneko (Japanese, b. 1942)
Date: 2004
Dimensions:
H: 69 in. (175.3 cm); W: 59 in. (149.9 cm); Depth: 47 in. (119.4 cm) (dealer)
Medium: Bronze with patina and steel table with patina.
Place of Origin: Japan
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Purchased with funds given by Ruth and Ralph Delman in memory of David K. Welles, Sr.
Object number: 2008.149
Label Text:Though nearly 6 feet tall and weighing more than a ton, Pinkerton exudes calm and serenity. The closed eyes and relaxed expression are based on sculptures of the Buddha. The head also recalls the mysterious spirituality of the awe-inspiring stone heads on Easter Island. Artist Jun Kaneko, who is best known for his monumental ceramic pieces, likes the head form because viewers have an immediate connection to it. Using such an instantly recognizable form can, as he explains, “shrink the distance between viewer and object.” The title comes from the character Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, the American naval officer who lives with then abandons the innocent Japanese girl, Cio-Cio San, in Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly.
On view
In Collection(s)