Sanford Darling's House, (sculpture).

Sanford Darling's House, (sculpture).

Darling, Sanford, d. 1973, sculptor.

Sanford Darling's House, (sculpture).

Mixed media, including found objects.

Approx. 6 ft. x 23 ft. x 6 ft. 6 in.

A house completely covered with painted scenes and border trimmings on the exterior and interior surfaces and furnishings. The painted scenes, many applied to the cardboard backs of old television sets, are mounted throughout the house and yard. The shingle roof, covered with tar paper, includes a painted lighthouse and sailboats on one side; and a mountain scene on the other sides. Other painted scenes include dancing ballerinas, the horse Seabiscuit, a Wisconsin farm scene, snowy mountains, rivers (including the Snake River), palm trees, small huts, boats, pagodas, fish and fowl, fruit and flowers.

Landscape -- Mountain

Landscape -- River -- Snake River

Landscape -- Farm

Landscape -- Wisconsin

Animal -- Horse

Animal -- Portrait -- Seabiscuit

Architecture -- Industry -- Windmill

Architecture -- Boat -- Sailboat

Performing Arts -- Dance -- Ballet

Outdoor Sculpture

Formerly located Darling, Sanford, 417 Rancheria Street, Santa Barbara, California 94901

The artist began transforming his house on Rancheria Street with the paintings in 1963 after his retirement, and continued work on the installation until his death in 1973. IAS files contain related articles from Life, June 25, 1971, pg. 66-69; Time, April 5, 1971; The Christian Science Monitor, Sept. 19, 1972, pg. 19; and Santa Barbara News-Press, May 6, 1971. For further reading, see Seymour Rosen's "In Celebration of Ourselves."

The house's paintings are no longer extant, having been removed and sold after the artist's death in 1973. IAS report files contain copies of photographs taken of the house in 1971.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, California, San Francisco survey, 1994.

Christian Science Monitor, Sept. 19, 1972.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

Control Number:

Horizon Information Portal 3.25_9382

Powered by SirsiDynix

About | © 2020 Smithsonian | Terms of Use | Privacy | Contact

SIRIS - Smithsonian Institution Research Information System