Jesse Tiffen
A&E Editor
This past Tuesday, the College of Wooster Art Museum opened its most recent exhibition, “Complex Conservations: Willie Cole Sculptures and Wall Works.” Cole is a contemporary African-American sculptor, conceptual visual artist and self-pro-claimed “urban archaeologist,” who operates within an eclectic postmodern style that represents both American consumerist pop-culture and African-American heritage in equal parts.
According to the College’s press release, Art Museum director Kitty Zurko hopes Complex Conservations motivates students to further discuss “issues surrounding the uncomfortable terrain of race.” This topic has also been recently explored in the museum’s exhibits “Posing Beauty in African American Culture,” “RACE: Are We So Different?” and “The Performative in African Art.”
Utilizing a variety of mediums, Cole’s exhibition at the College transforms a catalogue of mundane household objects into abstract social commentary. In Cole’s interview with Black Art America, he states, “I want them to be links between worlds … You live in the U.S., but here is a piece of art that looks like it is from another culture and another time, even though the materials in the work are strictly American. That shows there is a world culture.” The interactions of industrial and consumerist products within the exhibit all interrelate to achieve socio-political meaning. Cole’s usage of the ordinary household iron defamilarizes the domestic product and transforms the item into an abstract representation of the African-American experience and the history of slavery. To some, the masks used may appear as the bold contours of an African mask. To others, they may more closely resemble the notorious images of slave ship layouts. Similarly one of the exhibit’s installation pieces features a spiral of white high-heel shoes in which Cole utilizes the items for shape, color and texture. The concentric zones of the shoes allow the items to look more akin to vicious incisors than to clothing accessories. As all of the consumerist items are placed upon each other, their interrelation allows the viewer to forget the item’s primary function and perceive them as having a greater meaning.
If you were unable to attend the opening reception and presentation by curator Patterson Sims, there will also be a gallery walk with refreshments led by Kara Morrow and Zurko on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at noon. Additionally, there will be an evening of student music with a cappella group Shades of Gold, performing soul, pop and R&B music on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. in the gallery.
Cole’s work can be seen at the gallery, open from Tuesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. His work is also available on his website at www.williecole.com. For more information, call The College of Wooster Art Museum at (330)263-2495 or visit them online.