David Hammons
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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David Hammons (born 1943) is an African-American artist mostly known for his works in and around New York City during the 1970s and 1980s.
Much of his work, including Spade with Chains (1973), reflects his commitment to the civil rights and Black Power movements. In this particular work, the artist employs a provocative, derogatory term, coupled with the literal gardening instrument, in order to make a statement about the issues of bondage and resistance.
Along with these cultural overtones, Hammons' work also blurred the notions of public and private spaces, as well as what constitutes a valuable commodity. An illustration of these concepts can be seen in Bliz-aard Ball Sale (1983), a performance piece in which Hammons situates himself alongside street vendors in downtown Manhattan in order to sell snowballs which are priced according to size. This act serves both as a parody on commodity exchange and a commentary on the capitalistic nature of art fostered by art galleries.
Also noteworthy is the artist's use of discarded or abject materials, including but not limited to elephant dung, chicken parts, strands of African-American hair, and bottles of cheap wine. Many critics see these objects as evocative of the desperation of the poor, black urban class, but Hammons reportedly saw a sort of sacrosanct or ritualistic power in these materials, which is why he utilized them so extensively.
Related artists include Jimmie Durham, Gabriel Orozco, and Rirkrit Tiravanija.
