Object number2012.26.1.6
Lorraine
Portfolio/Seriesfrom the portfolio Exit 99
Date1999
Artist
Nari Ward
(American, born Jamaica 1963)
CultureJamaican, American
MediumScreenprint, thermography, and photography on Somerset Velvet 300gsm, business card and photograph
EditionEdition 48 of 50
DimensionsImage: 27 1/2 x 20 7/8 in. (69.9 x 53 cm)
Sheet: 30 x 22 in. (76.2 x 55.9 cm)
Sheet: 30 x 22 in. (76.2 x 55.9 cm)
Credit LineGift from Exit Art
On View
Not on viewPeriod20th c
Classification(s)
SignedOn recto, signed lower left margin in pencil: Nari Ward
InscribedOn recto, by artist, lower left margin in pencil: 48/50 [signature]; on verso, by unidentified hand, lower right corner in pencil: 2012.26.1.6
ProvenanceGift from Exit ArtVassar Exhibitions
Label TextJamaican-American artist Nari Ward frequently combines found objects to give them new meaning, drawing from his own background as an immigrant to examine racial and economic disparity. Here, he layers a snapshot of a Jamaican immigrant named Lorraine, an employee at a dollar store, and a business card from the store on top of an enlarged U.S. dollar bill. Ward elevates Lorraine’s picture to a position of status akin to a portrait that appears on a bank note, cleverly swapping the context of the dollar store for the dollar bill. This juxtaposition highlights discrimination and economic hardship experienced by many immigrants, who are frequently forced to leave behind prestigious careers and social status. This collage also calls attention to the exclusive representation of white men on U.S. currency. Ward asks us to imagine what it would look like for the United States to honor immigrants and women, who have built much of this country’s wealth while amassing so little of it.
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge.
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Tony Oursler
1999
Culture: American
Ida Applebroog
2003
Culture: American
