Documented artwork / monumental aluminum sculpture
Moondog
Credit as documented: Tony Smith
Moondog's National Gallery of Art example translates Tony Smith's geometric design into a large black aluminum structure. Fifteen octahedrons and ten tetrahedrons establish its lattice, yet some viewpoints make the form appear tilted and unstable. The title refers both to the New York musician Moondog and to Joan Miró's Dog Barking at the Moon. Smith also associated its shape with a Japanese lantern and a pelvis. Although the model dates to 1964, this particular outdoor example was fabricated after his death, in 1998–1999.
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At a glance
- Year / version
- 1964 model; NGA example fabricated 1998–1999
- Materials
- black-painted aluminum
- Documented setting
- outdoor
- Dimensions
- NGA overall: 521.3 × 468 × 467.4 cm; estate edition 3/3: 521.3 × 414.7 × 478.8 cm. NGA gross weight: 4,200 lb, three 1,400-lb sections.
- Dimensions apply to
- Two source-specific measurements of NGA edition 3/3 disagree; museum weights are gross object and section weights, not foundation requirements.
- Availability
- Unconfirmed
Places & versions
Installation history
Historical presentations. A past installation does not establish the current location or suitability for a new site.
Fabricated 1998–1999; museum display record reviewed October 17, 2026
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, southeast corner, Washington, District of Columbia — edition 3/3
Materials and construction
The museum identifies three sections and records a total gross weight of 4,200 pounds. Its overall dimensions differ from the estate's listing for the same numbered edition; both measurements are retained without resolving the discrepancy.
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Sources
- www.nga.gov ↗ · Checked 2026-10-17
- www.tonysmithestate.com ↗ · Checked 2026-10-17