Dr. Compton's Letter Rack
Dr. Compton's Letter Rack
Artist
David Esterly
(1944 - 2019)
Date2017-2019
MediumLimewood
Dimensions42 in. × 46 1/4 in. × 7 5/8 in. (106.7 × 117.5 × 19.4 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2019.17
Signedverso, l.r.: Esterly / 2019
Accession number
2019.17
On View
On viewLabel TextDavid Esterly's final artwork pays homage to Dr. Neil Compton (1912-1999), a Northwest Arkansas-based physician and environmentalist. Here, a collection of carved wooden objects hang on a letter rack, providing a multifaceted perspective of the life of this important Bentonville resident. Each object references various facets of Dr. Compton’s life, including his military service, his medical career, and his conservation work to preserve the Buffalo River, among many others.
Throughout his career, Esterly made highly detailed wood carvings that married technical fluency with his own unique take on portraiture. The subjects of Esterly’s “portraits” are represented not by their physical likenesses, but through the objects that defined their lives.
Mierle Laderman Ukeles
1979, printed 2022
Mierle Laderman Ukeles
1979, printed 2022
Mierle Laderman Ukeles
1979, printed 2022
Mierle Laderman Ukeles
1979, printed 2022
