Pink Chinese Scissors

Jim Dine's fascination with hand tools grew out of his childhood experiences visiting his father’s and grandfather's Cincinnati hardware store. For Dine, the tool is an extension of the hand, emblematic of the physical nature of work, including the work of the artist in his studio. In this example, he presents an array of hand tools posed like figures on a stage or in a group portrait. The tools depicted hold a personal as well as historical meaning for the artist and includes a number of the etching tools Dine used in his studio.