Artwork Details
72-1/4 x 44 in. | 183.5 x 111.8 cm.
Accession NumberMr. and Mrs. William B. Ansted, Jr. Art Fund
CopyrightThe artist; purchased by the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1997
Artist’s Statement
Hammurabi Code is part of an on-going series of wall pieces loosely referred to as the “prayer rug” series.
The title refers to an ancient code of laws established by the King of Babylonia between 1792 and 1750 B.C. The code is carved in a column in 3,600 lines of cuneiform, to which the central band and the white graphic characters make reference.
My images represent life’s spontaneity, randomness and lyricism, as well as its constraints, predictability and order. I try to keep my images energized, fresh and imbued with a life of their own.
-Martha Donovan Opdahl
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