Tweedledum

Peter Shelton
American, b. 1951
Tweedledum
Bronze, unique cast, 1988-89
Gift of Phyllis and John Kleinberg
2014.013.002

Peter Shelton has been a force in contemporary sculpture since graduating from the MFA program at UCLA in 1979. Tweedledum is characteristic of his work in being abstract yet making a fairly clear reference to the human body—a corpulent midriff with the suggestion of stumpy legs beneath. Tweedledum and his brother Tweedledee are among the curious characters Lewis Carroll’s Alice encounters in Through the Looking-Glass. They are the subject of a famous illustration to the book by John Tenniel, in which they appear as pot-bellied twins.