Creation Date

Sculpture creation date: 1971-1972

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Description

Black and white photograph of a large wooden elephant-shaped structure standing in a grassy field at the Langlais Art Preserve in Cushing, Maine. The artwork shown is “Old Elephant (#33)” by sculptor Bernard “Blackie” Langlais, created between 1971 and 1972 from painted wood and sited outdoors at the Langlais Art Preserve, the former property of Bernard and Helen Friend Langlais. The sculpture takes the form of a stylized elephant with a broad, flat front made from vertical wooden boards, carved and painted with circular patterns suggesting eyes, and fitted with large, rounded side panels that read as ears. Two thick, pointed beams project from the center as tusks, while a longer central plank extends downward as the elephant’s trunk, reaching almost to the ground. The elephant stands on four tall, narrow wooden legs whose uneven bases show wear from exposure, and beneath the body an opening reveals the lower end of a staircase that rises through the interior to a deck on top. Above the elephant’s back, the deck is edged with a simple rectangular railing, forming a small platform that visitors can access. The entire structure sits in an open, unmown field bordered by trees, with other distant sculptures faintly visible to the right. 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

p16968

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