Pigeon Roost
Artist
Douglas L. Osa
(American, born 1952)
Date1991
MediumEtching, aquatint, drypoint, and engraving on German Etching paper
DimensionsImage: 13 1/2 × 10 1/2 inches (34.29 × 26.67 cm)
Sheet: 19 1/8 × 14 3/16 inches (48.5 × 36 cm)
Framed: 22 × 18 1/2 × 5/8 inches (55.88 × 46.99 × 1.59 cm)
Sheet: 19 1/8 × 14 3/16 inches (48.5 × 36 cm)
Framed: 22 × 18 1/2 × 5/8 inches (55.88 × 46.99 × 1.59 cm)
Credit LineGift of American Century Services, LLC
Object number2019.57.9
SignedIn graphite below LR corner of image, "Osa 1991".
InscribedIn graphite below LL corner of image, "Pigeon Roost" and below LC edge, "2/75"
Edition/State/Proof2/75
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionThis black and white print depicts an alley with a walled-in, ramped bridge crossing over the alley in the middle ground and the more brightly lit opening at the end of the alley in the background. The vantage point is next to the lefthand wall, so the elevation of the righthand wall is more visible. It features an arched doorway at ground level on the near side of the bridge and also on the near side, three arched windows on the second floor. A loading dock or large doorway is visible on the far side of the bridge along with a fire escape and additional windows. Other buildings are visible in the distance. The titular pigeons are perched on window sills in the walls of the bridge. The floor of the alley appears to be a combination of gravel, dirt, and grass with water pooling in depressions in the ground as though from a recent rainfall.Exhibition HistoryGallery Label
Pigeon Roost was the first of several prints Douglas L. Osa made inspired by frequent visits to the West Bottoms. According to Osa:
"It depicts an alley near the end of the Twelfth Street Viaduct. The large upper story ramp that connected adjacent buildings over the alley was the impetus for this print. While I was working on drawings for the plate, pigeons continually flew through the alley and would at times perch on the windowsills. The brick textures, arched doorways, improvised downspout, and architectural modifications were what excited me at the time."
Published References
Copyright© Doug Osa
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