WAISTED: El Anatsui

Photograph by Thomas Lohr for Hero magazine. (Issue 8, Winter/Spring 12/13.)

BlackArtistNews | June 20, 2013

For decades, artists from Piet Mondrian to Andy Warhol have been revered and relied upon for inspiration by fashion designers worldwide.  So when BlackArtistNews came across this image of a bottle top waist coat by Contemporary Wardrobe in Hero magazine, an instantaneous connection was made between it and the work of El Anatsui. While it’s questionable whether the item was influenced by the acclaimed talent, there’s no question an Anatsui-influenced waist coat is far more affordable than an Anatsui original work of art.

Grace and Gravity: Monumental Works by El Anatsui is currently on view at the Brooklyn Museum with scheduled stops at the Des Moines Art Center (2013-2014) and the Bass Museum of Art in Miami (2014).