Yaller Girl
Artist
Joyce J. Scott
(American, born 1948)
CultureAmerican
Date2006
MediumBeadwork, wood, and mixed media
Dimensions25 × 10 × 9 in. (63.5 × 25.4 × 22.9 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number2016.36.1
Not on view
DescriptionThis work is composed primarily of a woman made of strung glass beads, connected to a large carved wooden mask. Protruding from the top of her head is a smaller solid wooden head. Both wooden objects are contemporary works and made for the tourist market in Africa (possibly Kenya). The torso, upper body, arms, and face of the woman are composed of threaded yellow opaque beads. Her lips are made of opaque red beads, and her teeth of white beads. Like her eyebrows, her hair is composed of transparent metallic golden beads. Pulled back into a ponytail, her hair extends almost to her waist. On the back of her yellow jacket, below her hair, is a beaded yellow bow. The dense beading of the yellow woman stops at the end of her jacket; below there are six individual wires strung with yellow beads that tie her to the large wooden mask. Partially caught in these wires is an upside-down black nude male figure primarily made of brown-maroon opaque beads. His hair, eyes, and eyebrows are made of metallic purple, light and dark blue beads. His teeth, and part of his eyes, are made of white beads, and his mouth is made of metallic copper-colored beads. Each of his fingernails and toenails are white beads. The beaded yellow woman holds the man by the legs, and his feet are supporting her breasts. She appears to be pushing him downwards, while he tries to hold on. In his right hand is a representation of DNA strands made of transparent red beads; the strands appear to be coming out from the mouth of the larger wooden mask at the base. Emerging from an opening between his legs is a black and white checkered egg with a red stripe.Label TextJoyce J. Scott American, b. 1948 Yaller Girl, 2006 Beadwork, wood, and mixed media Museum purchase 2016.36.1ProvenanceFrom the artist to her representing gallery., Goya Contemporary Gallery. Purchased from the Goya Contemporary Gallery in Baltimore, Marlyand by the museum in December 2016.Exhibition History“Joyce J. Scott: Walk a Mile in My Dreams,” Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD, March 24 – July 14, 2024; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA, October 17, 2024 – January 20, 2025. Published References“Breathe” February 23 – April 20, 2007, Goya Contemporary Gallery, Baltimore, MD, pg. 11-12, © 2007 Goya Contemporary, Baltimore, MD PBS Craft in America 2013. Catharina Manchanda and Cecilia Wichmann, eds., _Joyce J. Scott: Walk a Mile in My Dreams_ (New Haven: Yale University Press with Seattle Art Museum and Baltimore Museum of Art, 2024) 105, plate 68.
