Branding in the Art- Combining Art and History

by Cecile

Hank Willis Thomas (b. 1976, Plainfield, NJ; lives and works in Brooklyn, NY) is a conceptual artist working primarily with themes related to perspective identity, commodity, media, and popular culture. It's fascinating to see how the artist works in the literal and figural objectification of the African American male body.Thomas’s "Branded" work (2006) superimposes a Nike swoosh logo onto the head of black men, recalling the branding of slaves by their owners. Thomas explores in his work the unsettling relationship between the American athletic complex and African American men; the contemporary advertising imagery that perpetuates stereotypes.

Underneath Thomas' NIke head, you can see the 19-foot-4-inch tall Typewriter Eraser, Scale X standing jauntily in the reflecting pool outside the museum’s new entrance on Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach. Check it out if you can--you'll leave feeling inspired!

Below (and above) see myself admiring a sculpture by Indian-born British artist Sir Anish Kapoor and a wonderful piece by Richard Prince. An inspiring weekend in "Lalaland" Florida.