Accession Number1981/2.176
TitleThe Underworld
Artist(s)Ann McCoyArtist NationalityAmerican (North American)Object Creation Date1980Medium & Supporthand colored lithograph on paperDimensions 42 in x 30 in (106.68 cm x 76.2 cm)
Credit LineGift of Professor and Mrs. Edward J. MitchellSubject matterPart of a diptych (UMMA 1981/2.177), this lithograph belongs to a larger series of works that depict imagery of the underworld. McCoy claims that this series was inspired by a dream she had in which she visited the underworld land of a medieval cult, the Bogomils, who believed the world was actually created by the devil. As reflected in this work, McCoy dreamt of this world full of bizarre complexes and corpses. For her, underwater worlds and the classical underworld often meld into one, thus bringing together the images of sea creatures, demons, and the galaxies.
Physical DescriptionThis print shows a chaotic scene with a white skeleton in the center. In the upper left, there are a series of sea creatures, including a grey colored shark, pink colored squids and two octopuses in shades of orange. At the bottom of the print, the skeleton is surrounded by a large lizard, skulls, and other figures. A moon and stars are in the upper left corner. The print is signed (l.r.) "Underground Ann McCoy" and numbered "18/100" in red pencil.
Primary Object ClassificationPrintCollection AreaModern and ContemporaryRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
Surrealism
abstraction
dreams
modern and contemporary art
sea monsters
underworld (doctrinal concept)