Pinocchio (Emotional)

Pinocchio (Emotional), Jim Dine, 12’, bronze

In Jim Dine's “Pinocchio (Emotional)” at the Cincinnati Art Museum the figure is posed with one foot behind the other, back arched, arms outstretched, and head thrown back. His nose juts prominently into the sky. The title's parenthetical "emotional" is ironic because the face is expressionless except for the nose. From the front, Pinocchio appears to welcome visitors, arms thrown optimistically open. Alternatively, he could be in a mode of surrender. Dine expertly contrasts the silly with the profound in this piece.

Jim Dine is a Cincinnati Native. The famous children's story was created in 1883 by Italian author Carlo Collodi. Jim Dine's sculpture of Pinocchio is much more akin to the original conniving Collodi figure than the famed naive Disney figure. Dine’s “Pinocchio (Emotional)” is one of several of the artist’s works that centers around the children’s story character.  Cincinnati Art Museum owns a collection of prints by Dine depicting vignettes from the story.  Dine’s rendering of Geppetto, the carver of the puppet Pinocchio, can be considered a self-portrait.