Nancy Graves (December 23, 1939 – October 21, 1995) was an American sculptor, painter, printmaker, and occasional filmmaker known for her deep engagement with natural phenomena. She often focused on subjects such as camels, skeletal structures, and maps of the Moon, blending scientific inquiry with creative exploration. Her works are included in several prestigious public collections, including those of the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), Brooklyn Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Gallery of Australia, Des Moines Art Center, Walker Art Center, and the Museum of Fine Arts (St. Petersburg, FL), among others.
Graves gained early recognition in the art world, becoming the youngest artist and only the fifth woman to hold a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art at the age of 29. This milestone marked the beginning of a prolific career. Her interest in art, nature, and anthropology was nurtured from an early age, influenced by her father’s work at the Berkshire Museum. Graves earned a B.A. in English Literature from Vassar College and later pursued her M.A. at Yale University. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study painting in Paris, later traveling extensively throughout Europe, Morocco, India, Egypt, and beyond.
Graves’ artistic practice spanned multiple mediums, including sculpture, painting, printmaking, and film. One of her most iconic works, Camels, showcased her extraordinary ability to transform natural forms into life-size sculptures constructed from materials such as burlap, wax, fiberglass, and animal skin. The work exemplified her meticulous approach to detail, reflecting her fascination with both the animal kingdom and the history of natural science. Her subsequent works moved toward more abstract explorations of form, including large-scale open-form sculptures and colorful assemblages of found objects cast in bronze.
In the 1980s, Graves introduced a series of aerial landscapes, inspired by maps of the Moon and other celestial bodies. These works conveyed a sense of expansive space and offered a new perspective on topographical imagery. Her later works incorporated the lost-wax technique in casting delicate objects in bronze, reflecting her ongoing interest in materiality and transformation.
Graves’ legacy continues to resonate, with her contributions to contemporary art remaining influential. Her work is recognized for its innovative use of form, color, and material, as well as its unique blending of scientific, cultural, and artistic exploration.
