
Hank Willis Thomas United States, b. 1976
Lightsaber (Diamond), 2013
colored Plexiglass with stained African mahogany
123 x 123 x 6.8 cm
67 3/4 x 67 3/4 x 2 3/4 in
67 3/4 x 67 3/4 x 2 3/4 in
Hank Willis Thomas
Lightsaber is part of an evolution in what I have been doing with triangular flag frames. I have been sourcing patterns from African American quilts and folkloric triangle patterns. This...
Lightsaber is part of an evolution in what I have been doing with triangular flag frames. I have been sourcing patterns from African American quilts and folkloric triangle patterns. This one is based on broken dishes, a symbol referring to a signal that involved broken crockery at some future landmark. Inside the frames are colored mirrored Plexiglas pieces. Each one is angled in a different direction. So when standing in front of it, you don't see your self but refracted images from different perspectives. Thomas is concerned with the variations that occur when light hits the mirrored surface and is refracted onto another. The work is part of his continued exploration of framing and perspective – two photographic concepts articulated here through the use of non-photographic material.
Exhibitions
Eclipse, 7th Athens Biennale, September 24 - November 28, 2021Filling in the Pieces in Black, Curated by June Sarpong, Saatchi Gallery (Organized by MARUANI MERCIER Gallery, Belgium), October - November 2023, London, UK