Trace by Nancy Graves (United States, b. 1939)

Nancy Graves (1939-1995)
Trace, 1981
Cor-Ten steel and aluminum, painted with urethane
Gift of Joseph and Jaye Haddad
On long-term loan from Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Leadership support for the South Coast Botanic Garden Sculpture Collection was provided by Marilyn Long and Long Family Foundation

For Information Seekers

Nancy Graves was born in Pittsfield, Mass., in 1939, but she traveled the world, finding inspiration in Morocco, Egypt and Peru, particularly from the camels there. She reportedly once described camels as “unworldly compositions of the illusion and the reality.” She graduated from Vassar and then earned an M.F.A. in painting from Yale University in 1964. Graves developed a sustained body of sculptures, paintings, drawings, watercolors and prints. She also produced five avant-garde films and created innovative set designs. Toward the end of her career, she worked mainly with cast metal sculptures. While she died in 1995, the Nancy Graves Foundation carries on her legacy as it’s dedicated to exploring and expanding the understanding of visual arts. It maintains her collection of work and offers grants to visual artists.

The Plant Inspiration in Photos