Untitled

Copied Hawkins Bolden, Untitled, 1987, galvanized iron, cotton, wood, wire, straw, 3817 1244 in. (96.544.5111.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William Arnett, 1993.1.1

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled
Date
1987
Dimensions
3817 1244 in. (96.544.5111.8 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of William Arnett
Mediums Description
galvanized iron, cotton, wood, wire, straw
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure
  • Object — furniture — chair
  • Object — other — container
Object Number
1993.1.1

Artwork Description

Hawkins Bolden’s sculptures make a bold statement about confronting challenge with creativity. Human in scale, dotted with multiple “eyes,” raw, rusted, tattered, and soiled, they are both arresting and discomfiting.

Bolden was blinded in a childhood accident. He took to sculpting, creating a population of scarecrow-like sentinels to protect the family vegetable garden from the birds. He used cast-off forms salvaged from around the neighborhood—reinventing both the junked items and himself.