Man Spirit Mask
Not on view
Everyday objects, such as steam irons and ironing boards, act as both the subject and the material in Cole’s art. There, these household goods have a range of associations including slave ships, African art, domestic labor, and the found objects of the Dada and Surrealist art movements. In Man, the left panel, a manipulated, black-and-white photograph of Cole’s face is overlaid with the embossed outline and scarification-like markings of a steam iron. In Spirit (center), an iron’s base is rendered in brown tones and with blurred edges, referencing a scorched surface as well as the markings on Cole’s photograph of his face. At right, a bird’s-eye view of an antique dry iron with a wooden handle resembles an African mask placed over an upside-down version of Cole’s portrait.
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