Art Analysis: Smiley By Michael Lucero

The piece I chose, titled Smiley, is by Michael Lucero, and is a part of the Gorelick Collection. Michael Lucero is an American sculptor and was born in 1953. His work has been exhibited in the Mint Museum and the Carnegie Museum of Art. He attended Humboldt State University and University of Washington. This specific piece is a yarn wrapped ceramic and is a fairly large size. The sculpture itself is of a cartoonish dog, and the yarn wrapped around the ceramic base is of many different colors and in many different organic patterns and directions. The main function is most likely to be visually interesting and entertaining to look at, as it doesn’t really have a specific use. The piece is freestanding and is supported by its own base. This sculpture …show more content…
In addition to this, the use of the yarn is what allows the emotion and expression of the dog to be seen. It helps to show that the dog is in fact smiling, but also gives it a sort of distorted expression that is almost cartoonish and animated. However, the piece still gives off a happy vibe from the bright colors and the smiling expression, and makes the viewer intrigued. Because the piece is not an exact representation of a dog, it is very open to interpretation, which seems intentional of the artist. The form of the sculpture is molded by the ceramic base, but the yarn over top adds more curves and dimension to the shape and structure. The yarn also works well to create movement within the piece. The placement of the yarn and how it curves creates lots of movement for the eye to follow and highlights the features of the dog like the eyes, nose, and mouth. The texture of the piece appears matte from further away, but up close you can also see the softness of the yarn. The lines of the yarn vary greatly, as some are straight, and others are very curvilinear, but they are all the same thickness which creates some