Alice Aycock

The New China Drawing: The World Above, The World Below

1984

Pencil and colored pencil with crayon, acrylic, and cut-and-pasted paper on two sheets of transparent paper

Not on view

Divided into two panes—a “world above” and a “world below”—Aycock’s oversized drawing reflects on life and the passage of time. The upper part features an illustration of Guangzhou (previously romanized as Canton), China, depicted through a sequence of doors, suggesting that “an entire life could be like a town or a city.” The lower half overlays constellations and a satellite image of Earth at night, where man-made lighting blurs borders. By merging cities on the ground with the stars in the sky, eye-level with aerial views, the artist explores the multiple perspectives through which we experience the world, “floating high above” or passing by.

Gallery label from

2024

Medium Pencil and colored pencil with crayon, acrylic, and cut-and-pasted paper on two sheets of transparent paper
Dimensions overall: 95 3/8 x 105" (242.3 x 266.7 cm)
Credit Gift of Sarah-Ann and Werner H. Kramarsky
Object number 79.2004.a-b
Department Drawings and Prints

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