© Estate of Anne Chu
Interpretation
Understudy is Chu’s response to an ancient Maya whistle in the form of the Moon Goddess Ix-Chel and the lunar rabbit, on long-term loan to the Princeton University Art Museum. In the Mayan context, the Moon Goddess, a symbol of fertility, gives birth to the lunar rabbit. Here, Chu’s rabbit-in-moon rests its mangled arm upon a ghosted figure intimating both fragility and instability. Creating a dialogue between ancient and modern, classic and avant-garde, Chu imbues her object with the aura of an artifact while also suggesting a reimagined contemporary world.
Information
- Title
- Understudy: The Moon Goddess and Rabbit-in-the-Moon
- Object Number
- 2003-146
- Maker
- Anne Chu
- Medium
- Bronze
- Dates
- 2003
- Dimensions
- 24 x 15.5 x 9 cm (9 7/16 × 6 1/8 × 3 9/16 in.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of the artist
- Culture
- American
- Materials
Anne Chu, New York, New York, gift; to Princeton University Art Museum, 2003.
- Janis Koplos, "55 Ferris Street II", Art in America 81, no. 2 (Feb., 1993): p. 106-107., p. 106-107
- Janis Koplos, 'Anne Chu at TZ'Art", Art in America 83, no. 8 (Oct., 1995): p. 124., p. 124
- Joel Weinstein, 'Reviews: Dallas - Anne Chu and Bonnie Collura", Sculpture 18, no. 2 (Mar. 1, 1999): p. 73-74., p. 73-74
- Sarah Valdez, "Anne Chu at Christine Burgin", Art in America 90, no. 10 (Oct., 2002): p. 163-164., p. 163-164
- Lilly Wei, 'Shuffling the deck: the collection reconsidered", Art news 102, no. 11 (Dec., 2003)., p. 126
- "Acquisitions of the Princeton University Art Museum 2003," Record of the Princeton University Art Museum 63 (2004): p. 101-141., p. 103
- Faye Hirsch, "Anne Chu at 303", Art in America 92, no. 4 (Apr., 2004).
- Jonathan Goodman, 'Reviews: New York - Anne Chu: 03 Gallery", Sculpture 23, no. 8 (Oct. 1, 2004): p. 73-74., p. 73-74
- Bonnie Clearwater, Anne Chu, (North Miami, FL: Museum of Contemporary Art, 2005)., fig.19; p. 38 (illus.)
- [Advertisment for solo exhibition "Anne Chu" at Weatherspoon Museum; [Sculpture of a Rabbit Wearing Neckace With Rough Surface Texture]], ArtForum International 43, no. 6 (Feb., 2005)., p. 107 (illus).
- HIllary Sheets, "Chu's clues: Anne Chu models her courtiers, bears, and knights after Chinese burial ceramics, Romanesque tombstones, and Austrian marionettes", Art news 104, no. 4 (2005): p. 110-113., p. 110-113
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