Mt. Lizzard Head Pass in San Juan Range

Joseph Elmer Yoakum, artist

1889–1972

Mt. Lizzard Head Pass in San Juan Range, 1967

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: ballpoint pen; wove paper; crayon; pastel

Dimensions:
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 30.5 x 48.3 cm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 12 x 19 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 20 x 25 in

Credit line: Museum purchase

Accession number: 1969.0059

Not on display

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In the final decade of his life, Joseph Yoakum created more than 2,000 drawings primarily inspired by memories of his nomadic travels during the early 1900s. Because of the sheer volume of work and the wide range of locations represented, many people have speculated whether Yoakum actually visited every place depicted in his drawings. In a 1972 interview Yoakum stated, “I had it in my mind that I wanted to go to different places at different times. Wherever my mind led me, I would go. I’ve been all over this world four times.” Whether his depictions are wholly real or imagined, Yoakum’s various occupations as a travelling circus employee, World War I soldier, merchant seaman, railroad inspector, and freight-hopping transient suggest he was indeed a world traveler and ceaseless wanderer.