Clearly Indigenous Audio Exhibition
Dragonfly
Dragonfly, 2017, Robert "Spooner" Marcus (American, Ohkay Owingeh, b. 1975), H. 28 in. (71.1 cm), Diam. 8 in. (20.3 cm), blown and sand-carved glass, Collection of the artist, L10.2023:83
Verbal Description
Hello, I’m Eric Hughett, the museum’s curatorial assistant for East Asian art. I will be sharing a description of Dragonfly by Robert “Spooner” Marcus in Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass.
The blown and sand-carved glass work Dragonfly was created in 2017 by Robert “Spooner” Marcus, an Ohkay Owingeh artist. Marcus was born in 1975. This work is from the collection of the artist.
Dragonfly is a three-dimensional blown and sand-carved glass sculpture. Displayed in a wall case with two other works (it is on the right), it measures 28 inches tall, with a diameter of 8 inches, or 71.1 centimeters tall, with a diameter of 20.3 centimeters. The sculpture consists of two parts: a small orb that sits on a tall, slender, ovoid vessel form with a flat, round base. The sculpture is white (semi-translucent or frosted) and decorated with black motifs. The orb features swirling black line decorations. These curving lines create scrolls twirling up and down. Two black dragonflies, aligned vertically and positioned tail-to-tail, decorate the main body of the work. They are surrounded by black line decoration that forms zig zags and hook-like shapes.
Label Audio
Hello, I’m XXXXX, the museum’s XXXXXX. I will be sharing the label for Dragonfly by Robert “Spooner” Marcus in Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass.
The blown and sand-carved glass work Dragonfly was created in 2017 by Robert “Spooner” Marcus, an Ohkay Owingeh artist. Marcus was born in 1975. This work is from the collection of the artist.
The dragonfly is revered by many Native American cultures as a harbinger of change with powers of transformation. They are thought to bring harmony, and seeing a dragonfly is considered a good omen. Marcus depicts dragonflies on a white background, consistent with the honoring by Pueblo Peoples of dragonflies for their purity and healing powers.