Thornton Dial (b. 1928)

Moving the Fallen Tree depicts two men dragging a heavy log with rope. An abstracted image, the figures are at first concealed through a surface of painterly marks and built-up modeling compound, while the tree limbs are delineated through metal rather than wood, subverting the viewer’s expectations. The rope and metal elements are dynamic, creating a circling movement around the work. Assembled from found objects and paint on plywood, this work’s dense, thick surface is characteristic of the artist’s wall mounted constructions, which blur boundaries between sculpture and painting. For more information on the artist, see lot 11.