Unaware, New York, 18 May '22

Sam Smith 1908 - 1983

Summary

Wooden tower or skyscraper construction on which are perched frightening fantastical beasts. The surface of the tower has been incised with vertical lines of squares, giving the impression of rows of uniform windows; in places, the incisions have penetrated through the tower and objects have been inserted into the spaces. The top of the tower is stepped and fixed below this is a ledge patterned with classical designs. Perched on the ledge is a creature that resembles a bird with a woman's head and neck surrounded by fragments of cloth and other materials, a second of these creatures with a headdress of feathers clings on to the side of the tower. The tower stands on a rectangular base on which are arranged four strings with three cube-shaped beads on to which are painted small figure groups in silhouette; an arrow wraps around the base of the tower; a small plaque is also fixed to the top of the base.