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Reversed Evidence

1992
Willie Cole (American, born 1955)
Since the late 1980s, Cole has created numerous works consisting of scorch marks on paper, canvas, or ironing board covers, in which a pattern is burned into the support with an old-fashioned flatiron. The rich, dark tones of the burnt patterns often resemble African textiles, and although they have a contemporary look, the scorch pieces inherently allude to African ritualistic beliefs and activities-such as scarification or fire myths-and to the role of domestic labor, such as ironing, in the African American experience. In some instances, like this example, the work is encased in an old window frame.

Object Details

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