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My Uncle Whiskey's Bad Habit

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Photography by Edward C. Robison III
My Uncle Whiskey's Bad Habit
Photography by Edward C. Robison III

My Uncle Whiskey's Bad Habit

Artist (1930 - 1998)
Date1962
MediumAcrylic on canvas
Dimensions51 1/4 × 45 in. (130.2 × 114.3 cm)
Framed: 52 1/2 × 46 3/8 × 2 1/4 in.
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2014.1
Signedl.c.: D'ARCANGELO 62 verso: D'Arcangelo Mar 1962 My Uncle Whiskey's Bad Habit A3330
Accession number 2014.1
On View
Not on view
Provenanceto Private Collection, New York; by descent to Private Collection; to (Christie's, New York, NY), May 16, 2013, sale 2786, lot 224; purchased by (Barbara Mathes Gallery, New York, NY), 2013; purchased by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2014
Label TextLeaving little doubt about its name, My Uncle Whiskey’s Bad Habit is meant to be eye-catching. The bold red sunburst of a chewing tobacco package weaves in front of and behind all the so-called vices: drugs, alcohol, sex, and fast cars. Positioned alongside a sobering cross with the work’s title, the painting becomes a cautionary tale about the dangers of overconsumption in modern society.

Sin duda sobre su título, El vicio de mi tío por el whisky, tiene por objetivo ser llamativa. Los rayos de color rojo intenso de un paquete de tabaco de mascar se entrelazan por delante y por detrás con todos los llamados vicios: drogas, alcohol, sexo y autos deportivos. Colocada junto con una sobria cruz que lleva escritas esas mismas palabras, la pintura se convierte en una advertencia acerca de los peligros del consumo excesivo en la sociedad moderna.
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