Class of 1970 Art Fund at the Johnson Museum

Chango Weather Beater

The first work purchased (in 2000) was a monumental sculpture, Chango Weather Beater, 1997-2000, by a major contemporary African-American artist, Willie Cole.  The work reflects Cole’s interest in “Africanizing” commonplace objects of contemporary western society, particularly those that relate to his ancestors’ employment as domestic help after their arrival in America.  The egg beater-like shape of this sculpture exemplifies this objective.  Typical of Cole, it is a clever and witty work of art, but also a potent icon alluding to the history of Africans both in Africa and in America.  For the Class of 1970, it is also a reminder of our time at Cornell, when we viewed, closely and viscerally, the ways in which race tore our society apart and, unfortunately, continues to challenge us today.

Willie Cole American, born 1955 Chango Weather Beater, 1997-2000 Aluminum, epoxy resin-coated high-density foam, wood, PVC, and stainless steel 118&qtr;x 34" Acquired through the Class of 1970 Fund 2000.149

updated on 25 FEB 2013