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9/11: Interrupting the Morning News

Thornton Dial American
2002
Not on view
Dial created a substantial body of work in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent U.S. invasion of Iraq. This example is composed of a pile of tangled lines—some whip about like flames, while others, harder and more angular, suggest a fragmented structure. The semi-abstract drawing reflects the artist’s experience of watching the aftermath of the World Trade Center tragedy on television (the means by which Dial derived several of his subjects). Featuring faint faces scattered throughout the thicket of lines, it is an imaginative representation of the towers' collapse and an evocation of lives lost.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: 9/11: Interrupting the Morning News
  • Artist: Thornton Dial (American, Emelle, Alabama 1928–2016 McCalla, Alabama)
  • Date: 2002
  • Medium: Graphite, charcoal, and watercolor wash on paper
  • Dimensions: 41 × 29 in. (104.1 × 73.7 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Souls Grown Deep Foundation from the William S. Arnett Collection, 2014
  • Object Number: 2014.548.22
  • Rights and Reproduction: © Estate of Thornton Dial/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

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Powder Plant, Thornton Dial American, Sheet metal, sawdust, commercial paint, and adhesive on canvas on wood
Powder Plant
Thornton Dial
2013
Victory in Iraq, Thornton Dial American, Mannequin head, barbed wire, steel, clothing, tin, electrical wire, wheels, stuffed animals, toy cars and figurines, plastic spoons, wood, basket, oil, enamel, spray paint and two-part epoxy putty on canvas on wood
Victory in Iraq
Thornton Dial
2004
Out of the Darkness, the Lord Gave Us Light, Thornton Dial American, Carpet, cloth, two-part epoxy putty, enamel, and spray paint on canvas on wood
Out of the Darkness, the Lord Gave Us Light
Thornton Dial
2003
The End of November: The Birds That Didn't Learn How to Fly, Thornton Dial American, Quilt, wire, fabric, and enamel on canvas on wood
The End of November: The Birds That Didn't Learn How to Fly
Thornton Dial
2007
Celebration, Thornton Dial American, Graphite, pastel, watercolor, and gouache on paper
Celebration
Thornton Dial
2004

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