Anxious Objects

This publication accompanies the first survey of Willie Cole's work from the late 1980s to the present. Cole was born and raised in New Jersey and has resided in the state his entire life. The exhibition and catalogue focus on Cole's mixed media sculptural works made from salvaged irons, blow dryers, ironing boards, high-heeled shoes, lawn jockeys, and bicycle parts; paintings and drawings made of iron scorch marks, and prints. Cole's consumer and domestic objects assume the appearance of objects from another time, culture, or place, transformed into powerful cultural and spiritual evocations referencing African and global culture. His art is solidly based in studious appreciation rather than humorous imitation or ironic appropriation. The exhibition was organized by Patterson Sims. In this catalogue, Sims offers a broad introduction to Cole and detailed descriptions of the works included in the show. The text traces Cole's thinking, process, and evolution and the influence of his life-long residency in New Jersey. This catalogue also includes an insightful interview between the artist and Leslie King-Hammond, Dean of Graduate Studies, Maryland Institute College of Art; a short essay by Lowery Stokes Sims, President of the Studio Museum in Harlem, related to Cole's pivotal 1988-89 artist residency there; and an extensive chronology and professional history of the artist.