Sherry Markovitz (American, b. 1947), Swoosh

Circa 2000, papier mâché with multicolored beads intricately strung along the exterior of a gourd and snake like form, mounted for wall and hanging display.

74 1/2 in. (larger element); 12 in. (smaller)

The Contemporary Art Collection of Francine & Benson Pilloff, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Exhibited:
GLASS TODAY, Cleveland Museum of Art, 1997, p. 107
Fusion: Contemporary Art Glass from North Carolina Collections, North Carolina Museum of Art, 2005 (accompanied with a photo copy from the exhibition)

Mixed media artist Sherry Markovitz received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin in 1969, and moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington where she earned her Master of Fine Art in 1975. Markovitz’s work has evolved over the years and has often involved beaded sculptural forms including a series of fully beaded animal trophy heads, organic vegetal forms and dolls. Her works investigate the symbolism of identity, and are rooted in personal experience set in conversation with diverse cultural paradigms. More recently the artist has ventured into gouache paintings, rendering images of female doll heads and bodies, stuffed animals, dresses, and iconic images such as Howdy Doody, Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd and Emmett Kelly.

Sherry's work has been exhibited at various galleries, with solo exhibitions at Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, Washington; Lora Schlesinger Gallery, Santa Monica, California; Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, Washington; Schneider Museum of Art, Ashland, Oregon; among many others.

Some minor repairs to one end of snake; overall good condition.