Creation Date

Sculpture creation date: 1972

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Description

Black and white photograph of a tall, carved and painted wooden seal standing upright in a marshy area, holding a fish in its mouth at the Langlais Art Preserve in Cushing, Maine. The artwork shown is “Seal in Pond (#66)” by sculptor Bernard “Blackie” Langlais, created in 1972 from painted wood and installed in a shallow, reedy pond at the Langlais Art Preserve, the former property of Bernard and Helen Friend Langlais. The sculpture depicts a stylized seal with an elongated, tapering body rising vertically, its surface roughly carved and dotted with circular painted spots that climb from the shoulders to the neck. Two flat, fin-like flippers project from either side of the body, and the head tilts upward slightly with a rounded snout, where a separate carved fish form is gripped in the seal’s mouth. The piece stands amid dense cattails and marsh grasses that nearly reach its midsection, In the background another tall wooden sculpture entitled, "Ford with Gourds (#67) stands mounted on a concrete base at the edge of the marsh, with a line of trees enclosing the scene. 1994. Unidentified, photographer. (See p16252-p16254, p16959-p16975) (See also NA4654.)(NA4800.)

Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) (1990-1995) was a nationwide survey that ran from 1990-1995 documenting America’s outdoor sculpture. Established in 1990, SOS! helped educate local communities about America’s endangered sculptural heritage. The Maine Arts Commission was one of 106 organizations to participate in this survey.

Topic

Folk art, Sculpture

Collection

MF161

Series Number

NA4800

Identifier

p16970

Rights and Access Note

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for non-commercial uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For more information, contact Special Collections.

Existence and Location of Originals

Located at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress: AFC 2012/047 https://lccn.loc.gov/2013655211.

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Keywords

Save Outdoor Sculpture

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Rights Statement

In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted