Lyra/Vega II

Artist Paul Dacey (American, born 1960)

Date2003-2004

DimensionsH: 100 in. (254 cm); W: 100 in. (254 cm)

MediumAcrylic on 12 plastic discs.

ClassificationPaintings

Credit LinePartial gift of the artist and partial purchase with funds from the Museum Purchase Fund

Object number

2004.47A-L

Not on View

Label TextBorn and raised in Toledo, where the Museum was a formative influence, New York-based artist Paul Dacey draws inspiration from the art of various cultures. In this work Dacey paints plastic disks with patterns based on traditional Islamic tiles and mosaics. The arrangement of the 12 disks represents the constellation known as Lyra in western astronomy, and Vega in the Arab world. Lyra is the lyre of the mythological Greek musician Orpheus. Vega in Arabic means “swooping eagle.” The colors of each disk correspond to the flag colors of various nations from every continent. Flags, like arrangements of stars, can have, according to Dacey, “a fluidity of meaning” tied to cultural identity. Therefore, “[Lyra/Vega II] could be viewed as a cultural synthesis. Let synthesis, or an amicable coexistence, be the model if we are to live and prosper in peace.” © copyright protectedPublished ReferencesIlgen, Fré, Art? No thing!, Engwierum, PRO Foundation, 2004, p. 191, fig. 43, p. 215 (col.).Exhibition HistoryToledo Museum of Art, 86th Annual Toledo Area Artists Exhibition, p. 6 (not paginated).