An Upcycled Hood: Inside The Creations of Chakaia Booker
Conversion
2006
Rubber Tires and Wood
67 x 75 x 60 inches
De Cordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, MA
Westmont Ridley Tree Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA
Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH
Raw Attraction
2001
Rubber Tires, Steel, and Wood
42 x 32 x 34 inches
In the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY and included in the exhibition: Epic Abstraction- Pollock to Herrera
Deja Vu
2016
Rubber Tires and Stainless Steel
21 x 26 x 17 feet
Commissioned by and exhibited at Millennium Park, Chicago, IL
Currently on view at Pyramid Sculpture Park, Hamilton, OH (pictured)
Foci
2010
Rubber Tires and Stainless Steel
32 x 8 x 8 feet
Exhibited: Storm King Art Center
Evocative Gridlock
2008
Rubber tire and stainless steel, 2 pieces,
100 x 48 x 20 in.
Frank Espich, Courtesy Marlborough Gallery, New York
Growing up, Booker would sew and create clothing with all types of fabric. Gridlock tells the tale of human adventure and experience. Through the concave and convex patterns of the material, an interpretation of the complexities of mankind is being depicted. When one thinks of the word, “gridlock,” an association to traffic jams and intersecting streets can be made. Gridlock calls for the contemplation of how human challenges cause and affect mental stability and growth.
IT’S SO HARD TO BE GREEN
2000
Rubber Tires and Wood
150 x 252 x 24 inches (wall relief)
Exhibited in the 2000 Whitney Biennial, NY, and the De Cordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, MA
El Gato
2001
Rubber tire and wood
48 x 42 x 42 in
Collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Bebe and Crosby Kemper Collection
El Gato translates to “the cat” from Spanish to English. Its title is derived from the seemingly feline and creeping position. A mixture of wood, bicycle, and automobile tires was utilized to make the piece. Similar to the reference of the cat, the artist calls for the viewer to connect with the human-like aspects of the piece and undergo a transformation.
Artist: Unknown
Title: Two-panel granary door, Dogon
Date: Unknown
Size: 30 x 17 inches
Contributor: Clark Atlanta University Art Museum Permanent Collection, #41
This door was intricately carved out of wood, a material used in much of Booker’s work. The piece is made up of two doors set in the center. Carved into the panels are abstract figures that vary in size and form. Like Booker’s artwork, Dogon Granary Door has Africanisms that symbolize elements of African culture and design.