DORIAN GRAY, 1968

Print; 12" X 17-3/4"

75.1.18d

Clara M. Eagle Gallery, Murray State University

This print by Pop artist Jim Dine is most likely a reference to the beautiful title character in Oscar Wilde’s book The Picture of Dorian Gray. Dine often incorporates clothing into his artworks. In this piece, he emphasizes a multi-colored scarf.

This artwork appears similar to a quick sketch done by a fashion or costume designer. The drawing is not completely colored, and the sketch is very light. It seems as if the color was added as an afterthought, simply to indicate what color the garments would be. Dine has also made notes on the work, instructing that jewels be placed on the man’s shoulders—a kind of addendum that is also common in fashion sketches. The scarf, the only object in the painting depicted in full color, is the focus of the print.

About the Artist | Classroom Ideas | Links

About the Artist

Painter, sculptor, assemblage artist, and performance artist Jim Dine is truly a pioneer of contemporary art. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in June of 1935 and spent his first year of formal training studying at night at the Cincinnati Art Academy while still a senior in high school. Dine continued his studies at the University of Cincinnati; the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; and Ohio University in Athens, from which he received his BFA in 1957. Two years later, he moved to New York, where he held his first formal art exhibits.

With a group of fellow artists, Dine helped conceive what were known as happenings, or interactive, anti-narrative performance pieces. In the early 1960s, Dine was also associated with the beginnings of Pop Art in the United States, which explored images connected to popular culture. In the ’60s and ’70s, Dine appeared as a guest lecturer at Yale University in Connecticut and completed artist-in-residence programs at Cornell University in New York and Oberlin College in Ohio. He currently divides his time between his homes in New York and Vermont and has works in the collections of numerous major museums and galleries.

Classroom Ideas

Discussion: What do you think Dine is trying to express in the print Dorian Gray? When the artist made this print, on what elements do you think he was concentrating? Describe and analyze this painting on its face value. Then find out about the story of Dorian Gray. Does it affect your perception of the work? Compare this work to Dine’s Basil in Black Leather Suit, also in the Murray collection of the Kentucky Virtual Art Museum. Would you have guessed that these works were created by the same artist? What qualities do they share?

Activity: If you look at other artworks done by Jim Dine, you’ll notice that many have similar characteristics. For instance, clothing is a common theme in his work, especially jackets and coats. Think of an object that you are particularly fond of, or that you believe would make an eye-catching composition. Incorporate this object into several different artworks, using various media on different surfaces.