Next Kent tji wara

Willie Cole

2007 · Bicycle parts, spray paint, and brazing · Modern and Contemporary Art

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.

Artist

Willie Cole

Date

2007

Medium

Bicycle parts, spray paint, and brazing

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Hortense and William A. Mohr Sculpture Purchase Fund, 2008