Accession Number
2004/1.156

Title
Children's Garden

Artist(s)
George Vargas

Object Creation Date
2001

Medium & Support
china, irridescent glass marbles, broken glass, terracotta pottery, and feather on wood

Dimensions
13 3/8 in x 6 1/8 in x 5/8 in (33.97 cm x 15.56 cm x 1.59 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of the artist

Subject matter
George Vargas is a Mexican American mixed media artist who uses found objects, and is also an art historian with a focus on contemporary Latin American artists. Notably, Vargas incorporated Mexican terracotta shards into this piece and the whole looks like Mexican folk art assemblages. The subject matter of many of Vargas' creations is industry/labor, so this is a playful contrast to other works.  

Physical Description
This bright, busy assemblage resembles Mexican folk art. Some elements within it are irridescent glass marbles, shards of glass, three owl figurines, a blue feather, part of a white china plate with a floral design, pieces of brightly colored Mexican terracotta pottery, and a broken W. Goebel "Barnyard Hero" figurine of a boy and duck. All are attached to a blue wooden board.

Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
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Keywords
Mexican American
boys
children (people by age group)
ducks (birds)
feather (material)
figurines
flower (motif)
gardens (open spaces)
terracotta (clay material)