Photograph by Ed Pollard, Sony a7R II 2022.

Tin Man Looking for His Heart, Forgetting His Head!

Artist Richard Meitner (American, b. 1949)

CultureAmerican

Date2003

MediumFlameworked and blown glass, metal, wax candle, wood frame, and reverse-glass painting with wood frame

Dimensions8 3/8 × 8 3/8 × 24 1/2 in. (21.3 × 21.3 × 62.2 cm)

Credit LineGift of Lisa Shaffer Anderson and Dudley Buist Anderson

Object number2021.28.18

Not on view

DescriptionThis is a multipart sculpture that consists of four elements, three of which stack on or in one another. Beginning at the base, there is a hollow bowl-shaped glass element that has been silvered that rests on its rim; within this portion, a cluster of small tin bowls are randomly cluttered. On top of glass element is placed a colorless glass goblet-like vessel with a stemmed foot and vertical walls; beginning at the top and wrapping around the body, a lengthy passage of words has been written in black marker or paint (some places it is difficult to decipher). At one edge of the goblet rim is soldered the head of a tin man, which is soldered together from thin parts cut from a tin can of tomato concentrate (with French writing “double concenre de tomates” and “fraiches mieure qualite”). The headless body of a tin man figure, also soldered together from thin parts cut from a tin can, can be placed on to the rim of the goblet with the right leg inside and left leg on the outside; one hand of the tin man extends and holds a colorless glass element for a candle. Behind the work, a framed picture of a similar red-and-gold tin man (with the same words on the can) should be displayed; the image is reverse painted on glass with a red wood frame, and is signed and dated (best guess) “Yallos” or “Vallos” 2003. Signature, title, and date are written in black marker or paint on the base of the colorless glass vessel (and thus visible through the glass): “RMeitner 2003” “Tin Man looking for his heart, forgetting his head!”
ProvenancePurchased at SOFA from Arte Contemporanea [dealer Caterina Tognon, 11/10/2003 for $7,000