Object Image

Untitled (Individual element from the Healing Machine)

From the late 1950s until his death in 1986, Emery Blagdon created a constantly changing installation of paintings and sculptures in a small building on his Nebraska farm. He believed in the power of "earth energies" and in his own ability to channel such forces in a space that, through constant adjusting and aesthetic power, could alleviate pain and illness.

Blagdon used found materials like hay baling wire, magnets, and remnant paints from farm sales, but he also sought out special ingredients like salts and other "earth elements" through a nearby pharmacy. He called the individual pieces his "pretties," but collectively they comprised The Healing Machine. Blagdon worked on his Healing Machi...

Ca. 1955-1986
Paint and wood
15.2 x 8.3 x 0.6 cm
2015.46.5
Image and text: Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2024

Where you'll find this