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David Hammons Born 1943
David Hammons was most influential during the 70’S and 80’s but still is influence art today. One of his earlier pieces named “Spade with Chains”. With a play on words Hammons used a gardening tool, a spade, and chains to create a visual pun between a shovel and African mask.
Spade Works This piece was named Bird which he evokes Charlie Parker with a spade springing out of a saxophone.
Spade A spade of cards with an imprinting of a face for detail of negroid features.
“Higher Goals” This piece is basketball hoops placed on extremely high three story poles. Hammons was commenting on the almost impossible aspirations of sports stardom as a way out of the ghetto for youth.
Style Almost trying to concepts and ideas Hammons has avoided one particular style. If placement was a must he would be most likely be placed in minimalism and also post-minimal art with added Duchampionrefrences to the place of black people in American society.
Extra • Also noteworthy is the artist's use of discarded or abject materials, including but not limited to elephant dung, chicken parts, strands of African-American hair, and bottles of cheap wine. Many critics see these objects as evocative of the desperation of the poor, Black urban class, but Hammons reportedly saw a sort of sacrosanct or ritualistic power in these materials, which is why he utilized them so extensively.