The Eagle, the Arrow, and the Dolphin

A comparison between Pavilion and The Eagle, the Arrow, and the Dolphon draws attention not only to their shared imagery but also to an interesting similarity in their formal construction. Although one box is vertical and the other horizontal, the spatial divisions created by the wood or metal rods, which function as either “columns” or “shelves,” seem to follow the same proportional rules. Strong geometric and structural principles often underlie the heterogeneous collections of materials and objects within Cornell‘s boxes.

The study of the constellations had many layers of significance for the artist Constellations were connected to ancient mythology and bore witness to the power of the human imagination to imprint images and patterns on chaos. The illustration pasted into these boxes exemplifies these aspects in its particularly pleasing combination of science and fantasy. Cornell associated favorite constellations, such as Andromeda, Orion, and the Dragon, with friends, film stars, or ballerinas. The very term “ constellation” took on a particular significance for him in his effort to understand and describe his working process, as he sought patterns in his experiences, his feelings, and his works. A handwritten note in his diary reads: “What about ‘constellations’ for experiments in going over past experiences on various subjects and picking out certain points for a presentation” (Cornell Papers, AAA, reel 1060; see Cornell 1993, p. 227).

— Entry, Dawn Ades, Surrealist Art: The Lindy and Edwin Bergman Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago, 1997, p. 88-89.