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The Shrine of Democracy: Mount Rushmore, Black Hills, South Dakota

Artist Tseng Kwong Chi (American (born Hong Kong), 1950 - 1990)

CultureChinese

Date1986

MediumGelatin silver print

Dimensions36 x 36 in. (91.4 x 91.4 cm)
Overall, Frame: 37 5/8 × 37 5/8 × 1 5/8 in. (95.6 × 95.6 × 4.1 cm)

InscribedSee labels tab for verso labels and signature.

Portfolio"The Expeditionary Series," from a probable edition of 9

Credit LineGift of the family of Joel B. Cooper, in memory of Mary and Dudley Cooper

Object number2002.26.3

Not on view

DescriptionThis is a gelatin silver photograph of Mount Rushmore, a national park in South Dakota. A man, Tseng Kwong Chi, stands on the rocks in the center foreground.

Label TextShrine of Democracy: Mount Rushmore, Black Hills, South Dakota, 1986 Vintage gelatin silver print (photograph) Whether seen as a monumental “shrine of democracy” or a kitschy tourist trap, Mount Rushmore is a site where the portraits of four U.S. presidents are literally one with the grand American landscape—making it a perfect site for Tseng’s explorations of identity. As Tseng’s tiny figure in his Mao suit turns to gaze upward at the presidential portraits, he confronts their impassive faces, raising questions about the American traditions they represent. Chrysler Museum of Art, gift of the Joel B. Cooper family, in memory of Mary and Dudley Cooper, 2002.26.3 ProvenanceSemaphore Gallery, New York, Ny., 1986; Joel B. Cooper, Norfolk, Va., 1986-2002; Gift in memory of Mary and Dudley Cooper from the family of Joel B. Cooper to Chrysler Museum of Art, 2002. Exhibition History"Leonid Sokow, Tseng Kwong Chi, Gregg Smith," Semaphore Gallery, New York, Ny., Jan. 8 - Feb. 1, 1986. "Twenty Years of Large-Scale Photography, 1966-1986," John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Fl., March 6 - May 31, 1987; Akron Art Museum, Oh., Oct. 31, 1987 - Jan. 10, 1988; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., Feb. 26 - May 1, 1988. "The Bold 1980s: A Collector's Vision," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., March 19 - October, 2003. "Remix: A Fresh Look At Our Modern And Contemporary Art Collections," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, November 2, 2011 - March 17, 2012. "Tseng Kwong Chi: Performing for the Camera," Grey Art Gallery, New York, NY, April 21 - July 11, 2015; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, August 18 - December 13, 2015; Tufts University Art Gallery, Medford, MA, January 21 - May 22, 2016; Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Evanston, IL, September 17 - December 11, 2016.Published References"Leonid Sokov/Tseng Kwong Chi/Gregg Smith," _Arts Magazine_ 60 (March 1986), 142-143. Richard Martin, "East Meets West Meets North by Northwest: Tseng Kwong Chi in the Badlands and at Mount Rushmore," _Arts Magazine_ Vol. 61, no. 2 (October 1986), 72-73. Kathleen G. Chilson, editor, _This is Not a Photograph: Twenty Years of Large-Scale Photography, 1966-1986_, exh. cat., The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Fl., 1987, no. 50. Richard Martin, edited by Kyoichi Tsuzuki, _Tseng Kwong Chi_ Art Random no. 14 (Japan: Kyoto Shoin, June 1990). "Remix," Chrysler Museum of Art, November 2, 2011. Amy Brandt, _Tseng Kwong Chi: Performing for the Camera_ (New York: The Chrysler Museum of Art and the Grey Art Gallery, New York University, with Lyon Artbooks, 2015) 99.