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Miller Opie
"Whispering Dervish", wood, white oak, feather, hemlock, brown, red, sculpture

2019

About the Item

Miller Opie’s “Whispering Dervish” is a gestural 13.5 x 5 x 4 inch White Oak wood sculpture with found feather details embedded into the wooden grain. It is the third piece in her 8 piece "Whir of Wings" series. Opie used the natural twist of the wood to create movement which is enhanced by the placement of the delicate feathers. The browns, ivories and reds of the natural materials are rich and detailed. The piece is mounted on a Hemlock base, which has been torched to bring out the deep colors of the heartwood and cut marks. Opie buffed the entire piece with wax to create a deep sheen. The piece has a signed copper plate and felt pads on the bottom of the base. Miller Opie’s work explores and exorcises her life-altering experience that began in 2009 when she learned that she had several benign tumors that were destroying her jawbone. Over three years of surgeries and procedures inspire her to intimately explore beauty, decay and fragility. Opie has had a lifelong passion and obsession for collecting bones, shells and other natural objects. Working with found organic materials allows her the thrill of the search, the experience of discovery and the joy of combining and manipulating shapes. Opie’s desire is to create something better, something more compelling, by repairing a broken cow femur, reimagining deer vertebrae or combining moose ribs with feathers. Inspired by the new metal plate in her jaw, Opie adds brass screws, metal chain or silk thread to these discarded, decaying animal parts to give them a new life. Opie is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, a member of the Sculptors Guild of New York City and is represented by Fountain Street Gallery in Boston, MA.
  • Creator:
    Miller Opie (1968, American)
  • Creation Year:
    2019
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 13.5 in (34.29 cm)Width: 5 in (12.7 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Boston, MA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: Opie_Whispering Dervish1stDibs: LU50037875372
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