Heaven and Hell on Earth
Thornton Dial, American, 1928 - 2016
1995
Corn husks, corncobs, dried mushrooms, roots, burned wood, clothing, bedding, toys, wire, metal, fabric, Christmas tree ornament, rope, carpet, paintbrush, other found materials, oil, enamel, spray paint, and industrial sealing compound on canvas on wood
Overall: 81 × 111 × 11 in. (205.7 × 281.9 × 27.9 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Purchased through the Evelyn A. and William B. Jaffe 2015 Fund
2021.11.2
Geography
Place Made: United States, North America
Period
20th century
Object Name
Painting
Research Area
Painting
Not on view
Label
One in an extended series of paintings on this topic, Heaven and Hell on Earth is quite obviously divided left to right. Darker colors dominate the left side, while rich pastels of blue and yellow set the tone on the right. From the left, rope-wrapped metal pieces rise out of an inhospitable tangle of barbed wire and fencing and arch across the turbulent surface, connecting the two halves of the work. At its nexus sits a Christmas ornament featuring Jesus. Look further and you will find quilted clocks, toy cars, trucks, a phone receiver, and birds, all forms that could suggest movement, travel, and connection.
For Dial, the painting depicted the ever-present conflict between heaven and hell, but he decided to make it a bit unclear which is which. The darker side seems likely to be the hell side, but it does contain references to productivity and the economy, while the right side, with its brighter colors, offers little in the way of livelihood. Dial’s comments on the matter reinforce the vagaries found in his art. When it comes to heaven and hell, he simply noted, “They’re always together. We’re living in both all the time."
From the 2021 exhibition Thornton Dial: The Tiger Cat, curated by John R. Stomberg Ph.D, Virginia Rice Kelsey 1961s Director
Course History
SART 76, Senior Seminar, Enrico Riley, Winter 2022
SART 16, Sculpture I, Matt Seigle, Spring 2022
SART 31/SART 72, Painting II/III, Colleen Randall, Spring 2022
Exhibition History
Thornton Dial: The Tiger Cat, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, September 11, 2021–July 16, 2022.
Provenance
Souls Grown Deep Foundation
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