Michael Clark created Dorothy especially for Dorothy Vogel, who, with her late husband, has donated 50 works of art to the FAC as part of Fifty Works for Fifty States: The Herbert and Dorothy Vogel Collection.
Clark lived and worked for years on the East Coast and is a founder of the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Washington, D.C. His art tends to feature neon colors and playful graphics, ironically poking fun at the Pop Art movement that influenced his work.
Michael Clark, Dorothy, 1983-1985, construction, acrylic on wood, mirror, with collage, FA 2009.12.9. Image source.
Dorothy, a colorful mixed media piece, invites the viewer to peer inside as if through a window, finding his or her own reflection layered with familiar cultural icons. The piece is an implied portrait of Dorothy herself when she gazes into the mirror.