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Photography by Edward C. Robison III.

Black and Golden Door

Black and Golden Door creates “folds” using piano hinges and doors to present a three-dimensional painted surface. Establishing himself decades earlier through his approach to folding and draping painted canvases, Gilliam pushed the limits of the painted medium beyond the traditional flat, stretched canvas simply hanging on a wall. Throughout his career, Gilliam has been guided by the belief that experimenting with the capabilities of materials can lead to the most exceptional final product.

ArtistSam Gilliam, 1933–2022
Date1996
MediumAcrylic on birch plywood with aluminum construction and piano-hinged door
Dimensions35 3/4 x 35 7/8 x 1 1/2 in. (90.8 x 91.1 x 3.8 cm)
Signedverso, u.c.: Sam Gilliam
Inscription(s)verso, u.l.: Black and Golden Door '96
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, Gift of Darrell and Lisa Walker, 2016.33
ClassificationSculpture
ProvenanceDarrell Walker and Lisa Walker, Little Rock, AR; (Swann Galleries, New York, NY), June 10, 2014, lot 138, unsold; given to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2016
On ViewNo
Black and Golden Door35.8 × 35.9 in.Tennis Ball2.7 in. diameter

This artwork's face covers about 176× the area of a tennis ball.Drawn to the same scale.