Object Details
Artist
Mike Wilkins, born Durham, NC 1959
Publication Label
In a show of American ingenuity, Mike Wilkins utilized a collection of vanity license plates to phonetically spell out the preamble to the US Constitution in abbreviated script. All fifty states and the District of Columbia are represented in alphabetical order. Though the plates rarely make sense on their own, together they re-create one of the greatest documents in American history. This work represents the meaning of the phrase "the United States" with a fun twist.
Smithsonian American Art Museum: Commemorative Guide. Nashville, TN: Beckon Books, 2015.
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Nissan Motor Corporation in U.S.A.
Date
1987
Object number
1988.39
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Sculpture
Medium
painted metal on vinyl and wood
Dimensions
96 x 96 in. (243.8 x 243.8 cm.)
See more items in
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department
Painting and Sculpture
On View
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, W330
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor
Data Source
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Topic
History\United States\Constitution
Architecture\vehicle\detail
Link to Original Record
Record ID
saam_1988.39