Robert Therrien

No Title (Oil Can)

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About this artwork

Epic scale has been traditionally reserved for sculptures of political statesmen or sovereign leaders, where size is used to exert the powerful status of the subject. Therrien employs the same device for a mass-produced oil can. The object’s dimensions emphasise the elegant minimalism of its design, in which simple lines and shapes are reminiscent of the classical grandeur of heroic monuments. The highly polished surface captures the viewer’s own reflection in front of the sculpture. Dwarfed by the oversized structure, the artist seems to question the function of such a simple utilitarian object, and how we perceive ourselves in relation to it.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Robert Therrien (1947 - 2019) American
  • title:
    No Title (Oil Can)
  • date created:
    2004
  • materials:
    Stainless steel
  • measurements:
    246.00 x 53.00 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Acquired jointly through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 2008
  • accession number:
    AR00167
  • gallery:
  • artwork photographed by:
    Antonia Reeve
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Robert Therrien

Robert Therrien