David Hammons
American, born 1943
American Costume
INV-1468
David Hammons
American, born 19431970
American Costume
David Hammons American, born 1943 →drawings (visual works)prints and drawing
Date
1970
Medium
Ink, powdered pigment and fixative on brown wove paper mounted to board
Dimensions
63.2 × 50.2 cm (24 15/16 × 19 13/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Lannan Foundation
Initially appearing to be a drawing or print, this work is actually composed of the artist’s thumbprints, directly impressed upon brown paper. With them, David Hammons depicts an individual of African descent. The figure’s facial features and the distinctive textures of their hair and dress imbue the portrait with an exaggerated “primitiveness,” engaging widely held stereotypes about Black people. Juxtaposed with the title, the image challenges ideas of what being an American means and who it includes.
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