Overview

“Look at all the works in museums by Anonymous during the last 4000 years. Anonymous is everywhere doing the best work in every country in every century. The greatest artists have always been anonymous. It’s only been in the last 600 years or so that an ego identification has been attached to things. It has been to the detriment of the work. The work should represent itself alone. Putting a name on it removes it outside what the work is, unless the work has a very personal relationship. The insistence on displaying conspicuous names on works is an interference. It’s like having a huge Coca Cola sign stuck in the middle of Yosemite National Park in front of the Bridal Veil waterfall.”

 

— Bruce Conner, 2005

Works
  • Japanese stone sculpture with two cubes as base and pointed/angular top.
    Anonymous
    Hokyointo, 1522, dated 2nd year of Daiei Era (1521-1528)
    Shuzan-Kitayama stone
    38 x 18 x 17 1/2 inches
    96.5 x 45.7 x 44.5 cm
  • Watercolor of various grasshoppers in different shapes, sizes and colors. They are spread out on the page.
    Anonymous
    Bugs, mid 1800s
    ink and watercolor on paper
    12 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches
    31.8 x 29.2 cm
  • Weathered stone sculpture with open hole in center and sloped edge topper.
    Anonymous
    Yose-Oki Lantern, Edo Period, 1603-1868
    stone
    16 x 22 x 15 inches
    40.6 x 55.9 x 38.1 cm
  • Leaves with fine ink blotting. One large vertical leaf on beige scroll with a horizontal leaf below the scroll. Several smaller vertical leaves line the scroll.
    Anonymous
    LEAVES, OCTOBER 5, 2001, 2001
    ink and collage
    36 1/4 x 17 inches/92.1 x 43.2 cm
  • Short and squat leaf on white paper. The leaf is covered with ink blotting, with a light center and bolder black edges.
    Anonymous
    INKBLOT DRAWING, OCTOBER 30, 2001, 2001
    ink and collage on paper
    image 6 3/8 x 3 3/8 inches/16.2 x 8.6 cm
    sheet 11 1/4 x 7 1/2 inches/28.6 x 19.1 cm
  • Small paper leaf with details drawn in black ink.
    Anonymous
    LEAF, 2001
    felt-tip pen on paper
    leaf: 7 1/4 x 5 5/16 in
    mount: 12 x 10 in
  • Short and squat leaf on white paper. The leaf is covered with very fine ink blotting, making the leaf read as grey and dappled.
    Anonymous
    INKBLOT DRAWING, OCTOBER 30, 2001, 2001
    ink and collage on paper
    image 4 1/4 x 3 3/8 inches/10.8 x 8.6 cm
    sheet 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches/19.1 x 19.1 cm
  • Small weathered Japanese stone sculpture.
    Anonymous
    Gorinto, Kamakura Period, 1185-1300 and Edo Period, 1603-1868
    stone
    32 1/4 x 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches
    81.9 x 31.8 x 31.8 cm
  • Short and squat leaf on white paper. The leaf is covered with very fine ink blotting, making the leaf read as dark grey and dappled.
    Anonymous
    INKBLOT DRAWING, OCTOBER 29, 2001, 2001
    ink and collage on paper
    image 5 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches/14 x 7 cm
    sheet 11 3/8 x 7 1/2 inches/28.9 x 19.1 cm
  • Weathered square stone basin with circle in center holding water.
    Anonymous
    Tsukubai (water basin), Kamakura Period, 1185-1300
    Shirakawa stone
    13 x 19 x 18 1/2 inches
    33 x 48.3 x 47 cm
  • Short and squat leaf on white paper. The leaf is covered with very fine ink blotting, making the leaf read as grey and dappled.
    Anonymous
    INKBLOT DRAWING, OCTOBER 29, 2001, 2001
    ink and collage on paper
    image 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches/14 x 8.9 cm
    sheet 11 1/4 x 7 1/2 inches/28.6 x 19.1 cm
  • Rounded stoned basin with dark weathering towards the top of the bowl that holds water.
    Anonymous
    Tsukubai (water basin), Kamakura Period, 1185-1300
    Shirakawa stone, carved from a suirin (the sphere portion) of an earlier gorinto
    12 1/2 x 14 1/4 x 14 1/4 inches
    31.8 x 36.2 x 36.2 cm
  • Tall stone lantern with stylized details.
    Anonymous
    Nishinoya-style Lantern, Edo Period, 1603-1868
    Shirakawa stone
    62 1/2 x 21 x 20 3/4 inches
    158.8 x 53.3 x 52.7 cm
  • Black leaves dispersed on a beige scroll.
    Anonymous
    FALLEN LEAVES OCTOBER 7, 2001, 2001
    ink and collage on paper and silk
    36 x 17 in
    91.4 x 43.2 cm
Exhibitions