All Artists Try to Be God and Will Burn in Hell
1998
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
etching, printed chine collé on wove BFK Rives paper
Dimensions
image: 17.6 × 15 cm (6 15/16 × 5 7/8 in.) sheet: 66 × 50 cm (26 × 19 11/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Bob Stana and Tom Judy
Accession Number
2022.173.4
Art Historical Context
In the National Gallery of Art's collection, Terry Allen's provocative etching *All Artists Try to Be and Will Burn in Hell (1998) captures the artist's signature blend of irreverence and wit. Allen, a multifaceted American artist known for his multimedia explorations of American culture, religion, and folly, delivers a compact image (17.6 × 15 cm) on a generous sheet (66 × 50 cm). This print, a generous gift from Bob Stana Tom Judy, exemplifies late-20th-century conceptual art, where bold titles challenge viewers to confront the hubris of creation itself. The work employs etching—a precise i...