Ups and Downs
Accession Number
2002/1.202
Title
Ups and Downs
Artist(s)
Tyree Guyton
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1994
Medium & Support
acrylic on masonite
Dimensions
25 13/16 in x 49 3/4 in (65.56 cm x 126.37 cm);25 5/8 in x 49 5/8 in (65.09 cm x 126.05 cm)
Subject matter
This Detroit-based artist is most well-known for his large-scale installation called "The Heidelberg Project." In “Ups and Downs," two figures, one male and one female, confront the viewer with large smiles. This work was part of a large series of works that depict single and paired figures, called "Faces." The work's title was derived from the purple “tears” that drip down the face of the male figure and upwards on the female figure. Guyton is most interested in thinking about composition more broadly as "to form by putting together." The two gendered figures come together, with juxtaposing directional elements.
Physical Description
Two abstracted, bust-length figures, one male and one female, look directly at the viewer with large smiles. The background is tan, and filled with swirling lines and scribbles. The face and eyes of each figure are outlined in thick green, the mouths in thick yellow. The “whites” of the eyes are red, while the pupils are circles of pale purple. Purple paint drips down from the eyes of the male figure, while the paint on the female figure drips upward.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
portrait
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If 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
Abstract (fine arts style)
African American
Figures
figures (representations)
folk art (traditional art)
found objects
men (male humans)
mouths
outsider art
tear (secretion)
women (female humans)
2002/1.202
Title
Ups and Downs
Artist(s)
Tyree Guyton
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1994
Medium & Support
acrylic on masonite
Dimensions
25 13/16 in x 49 3/4 in (65.56 cm x 126.37 cm);25 5/8 in x 49 5/8 in (65.09 cm x 126.05 cm)
Subject matter
This Detroit-based artist is most well-known for his large-scale installation called "The Heidelberg Project." In “Ups and Downs," two figures, one male and one female, confront the viewer with large smiles. This work was part of a large series of works that depict single and paired figures, called "Faces." The work's title was derived from the purple “tears” that drip down the face of the male figure and upwards on the female figure. Guyton is most interested in thinking about composition more broadly as "to form by putting together." The two gendered figures come together, with juxtaposing directional elements.
Physical Description
Two abstracted, bust-length figures, one male and one female, look directly at the viewer with large smiles. The background is tan, and filled with swirling lines and scribbles. The face and eyes of each figure are outlined in thick green, the mouths in thick yellow. The “whites” of the eyes are red, while the pupils are circles of pale purple. Purple paint drips down from the eyes of the male figure, while the paint on the female figure drips upward.
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
portrait
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If 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
Abstract (fine arts style)
African American
Figures
figures (representations)
folk art (traditional art)
found objects
men (male humans)
mouths
outsider art
tear (secretion)
women (female humans)
