Tschabalala Self

Anne Ellegood

Hammer Museum, Los Angeles

Hammer Museum

Installation view of a gallery space behind a glass wall with two open glass doors. A number of neon signs are displayed in the window, reminiscent of a storefront. On our left, the first sign reads, "Abierto, Open" all in orange neon capital letters with a green line between the first and second word. The next sign reads,"EBT, ATM" in orange and then green capitals. A sign towards the back of the store reads, "Coffee, Teas" in green neon capitals. At the furthest to our right, we can see a sign reading "Lotto" in orange capitals surrounded by a green neon circle. In the left window is a large grey and black cat sculpture. Directly in front of the open glass doors is a sculpture of a woman bending over with her head on the ground. Various other objects and wall works fill the gallery space.

A closer view of the gallery space from inside the glass doors. The ground is covered with green, black, and orange striped laminate flooring. The walls are covered with a black and white wallpaper with a repeated pattern of jars. In what appears to be ink drawing, there are two rows of jars with an "apple sauce" label. The next two rows of jars say "Hellman's Real Mayonnaise". The next two rows say "Goya". These rows repeat in stripes that cover the walls from floor to ceiling. On the wall hang three large paintings. Various sculptures fill the floor, including the woman bending down, and a circular traffic mirror is installed in the back corner to our left.

A different installation view of the gallery taken from the left. From this angle we can see that the sculpture of the woman bending down, which we had been directly facing in the last two images, is a cutout made of plywood or another thin material. Only the butt of the woman has any width, being three or four times as thick as the rest of the sculpture. On the far wall, visible from behind the free standing sculpture of the woman bending down, is a red cutout silhouette of the same woman. Only the shape of her body as seen from the front is visible. The cutout shows the top of her rounded butt, the curve of her thighs and knees and calves, and her dainty feet on the floor. To the left of the cutout against the wall is a large painting with the word "ice cream" printed in all caps. On the far left wall is another large wall work. A blue plastic milk crate sits on the striped laminated floor in the corner of the gallery.

Another installation view of the gallery. From this angle we can see a traffic mirror installed in the top corner to our left. It reflects back the striped floor, sculptures and wall works in its range. To the right, on the back wall, there are two large paintings that are hung together but at offset heights. Both paintings seem to represent a grocery or convienience store. There are bottles in cases and two people appear to be shopping. On the right wall is a large painting with the words "ice cream" written in red capital letters at the bottom. The painting shows a woman in high heels bending over and a silhouette of a man's face and shoulders looking in the other direction. In front of the painting is a large plastic milk crate. To our left is a large free standing sculpture of legs and feet.

Another installation view of the gallery showing a striped laminate floor, wallpaper, multiple hung wall works, free standing sculptures, and a traffic mirror installed in the top left corner.

Another installation view of the gallery. From this angle we can see a large orange painting on the back left wall. The painting depicts a person standing against an orange and green background. They have dark skin, an afro, a blue tank top, and colorful patchwork pants. To the right we see a free standing sculpture of legs, a traffic mirror installed above in the corner, two large paintings hung at offset heights and a blue overturned plastic milk crate.

Another installation view of the gallery focusing on the blue overturned milk crate and one of the paintings on the back wall. Through the perforations in the blue plastic of the crate we can see the black, green and orange flooring. The crate is overturned, with its bottom up, as if about to be used as a step stool, chair or table. On the back wall is a large wall work. On stretched canvas, painted fabric has been collaged into an image of a man in profile facing a refrigerated cabinet of drinks. On a shelf above (at his head height) is a row of boxes marked "Pampers" with an image of a baby drawn. The man is dark skinned with a gray beard and mustache. He is wearing a pink and white striped cap, a black tank top, and gray shorts, gray shoes and socks. He is standing with his hands on his hips on a blue and white checked floor.

Another image from a different angle showing the milk crate and the large painting on its other side. On stretched canvas, painted fabric and painted paper has been collaged or sewn to depict a woman bending over and clutching her lower back or butt. Behind her, the silhouette of a man faces the other direction. The background of the wall work is broken up into three sections. The top two thirds are made up of small individual drawings of candy, applied to the canvas like wallpaper or flyers. A red striped line of fabric separates a yellow middle section in the painting with large white circles of fabric applied. On closer inspection, we can see that the circles have drawn details to resemble buttons. Another red stripe of fabric differentiates the bottom section of the painting. It has a white background and the word "ice cream" is written in all capital red letters.

A close up photograph of a round traffic mirror installed in a corner of the gallery below the ceiling. The image shows the corner covered in black and white wallpaper seen throughout the gallery, the mirror and a corner of white ceiling above. In the mirror, the striped laminate floor appears especially bright and distinct. Visible on the floor is the blue plastic milk crate, the leg sculpture and the woman bending down. On the wall reflecting into the mirror we can see the bright red silhouette of legs as well as a large wall work.

A closer view of the free standing sculpture of a big woman bending down with her head reaching the ground. From this angle we can see that most of the sculpture is a thin cutout made of wood or another thin material. The sculpture is painted with visible brush strokes. The woman's skin is brown, she's wearing a bubblegum pink bathing suit and her vagina, lifted directly toward our view, is painted like a rainbow, starting with red, orange, yellow, blue and green rings. From this view, we can see her legs and vagina and butt while her head is hidden by one calf. Behind the sculpture, the walls are hung with large colorful wall works.

A detailed view of the sculpture of a big woman bending down in the pink bathing suit. From this angle we can see that her head is shaped like a heart, without eyes or nose. Her head and breasts and belly are visible between her thick legs. Her skin is painted brown in thin, varied strokes. Her pink two-piece bathing suit is applied with an opaque, denser paint. And even with the face visible, the focal point of the work remains her vagina, lifted directly toward our view, painted like a rainbow, starting with red, orange, yellow, green and blue concentric rings.

A detail of the bright red cutout of legs and butt seen in previous installation images. The cutout is a silhouette of the free standing sculpture of the woman in the pink bathing suit. Simplified from the details of bathing suit lines, we can see that the rounded butt forms the shape of a heart, ending in the lips of the vulva. All of the shapes on the silhouette of this body are rounded, the thighs, knee caps, calf muscles and feet arches.

Another detail of the bright red cutout of legs and butt seen in previous installation images. The cutout is a silhouette of the free standing sculpture of the woman in the pink bathing suit. Simplified from the details of bathing suit lines, we can see that the rounded butt forms the shape of a heart, ending in the lips of the vulva. All of the shapes on the silhouette of this body are rounded, the thighs, knee caps, calf muscles and feet arches.

A detail image of a large orange wall work. The painting depicts a person standing against an orange and green striped background. They're smoking a cigarette, and the smoke rises in a silver cloud on the right side of the painting. They have dark skin, an afro, a blue tank top, and colorful patchwork pants. All the forms in the painting are made of pieces of fabric sewn or otherwise attached to the stretched canvas. Some of the fabric has floral or geometric patterns, like those pieces used to make the pants and face of the figure. The fabric used for the skin of the figure has been painted in thin layers of brown that subtly add shading and muscular structure to the chest and arms below the blue tank top. The green stripes in the background are also painted.

A detail image of a large orange wall work. The painting depicts a person standing against an orange and green striped background. They're smoking a cigarette and the smoke rises in a silver cloud on the right side of the painting. They have dark skin, an afro, a blue tank top, and colorful patchwork pants. All the forms in the painting are made of pieces of fabric sewn or otherwise attached to the stretched canvas. Some of the fabric has floral or geometric patterns, like those pieces used to make the pants and face of the figure. The fabric used for the skin of the figure has been painted in thin layers of brown that subtly add shading and muscular structure to the chest and arms below the blue tank top. The green stripes in the background are also painted.

A detail of the sculpture of legs and feet seen in previous installation images. The legs are loosely formed and are of slightly different size and shape. They appear to be made of lightly painted plaster. The legs are painted thinly with black, much white coming through, and the boots a light brown. Long, roughly shaped legs end in bulbous brown boots at the floor. At the top of the sculpture, the legs end in two rounded mounds, like hip bones between which is painted a pale pink oval surrounded by white, which resembles a vagina.

Another detail of the sculpture of legs and feet seen in previous installation images. The legs are loosely formed and are of slightly different size and shape. They appear to be made of lightly painted plaster. The legs are painted thinly with black, much white coming through, and the boots in a light brown. Long, roughly shaped legs end in bulbous brown boots at the floor. At the top of the sculpture the legs end in two rounded mounds, like hip bones between which is painted a white oval which resembles a vagina.

Tschabalala SelfHammer Projects: Tschabalala SelfHammer Museum, Los Angeles

Exhibition Images

Tschabalala SelfHammer Projects: Tschabalala Self
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles