Next Kent tji wara
Using parts from two old bicycles, Cole creates parent-child antelope figures that are inspired by the wooden animals atop traditional Bamana tji wara (or ci wara) headdresses. Like the African pieces—several of which can be seen in The Met's collection—Cole's contemporary versions abstract the antelope's tapered head, long neck, and horns into elegant silhouettes. Such bicycle constructions have been a recurrent theme in the artist's oeuvre since 1992 and reference not only his heritage as an African American, but also America's consumer society.
Artwork Details
- Title: Next Kent tji wara
- Artist: Willie Cole (American, born Newark, New Jersey, 1955)
- Date: 2007
- Medium: Bicycle parts, spray paint, and brazing
- Dimensions: 37 1/4 × 8 1/4 × 21 in., 13.6 lb. (94.6 × 21 × 53.3 cm, 6.2 kg)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Hortense and William A. Mohr Sculpture Purchase Fund, 2008
- Object Number: 2008.260
- Rights and Reproduction: © Willie Cole
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
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