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Ernest and Ruth
Ernest and Ruth

Ernest and Ruth

Artist Hank Willis Thomas American, born 1976
Date2015
MediumPainted steel
Dimensionsheight, width, and depth: 83 × 96 × 24 in. (210.8 × 243.8 × 61 cm)
base (plate): 48 × 96 in. (121.9 × 243.8 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineGift of Pat and Tom Gipson
Object number2016.19.1
On View
On view
Label TextShaped like a cartoon thought or speech bubble, these sculptures offer visitors a place to sit and interact with the works of art and with each other. As the artist states, “When viewers occupy the piece, they are encouraged to contemplate what it means to inhabit their own speech and beliefs.”

Interested in creating works that address issues of history, class, and identity, Thomas is, in his own words, “fascinated with how history and culture are framed, who is doing the framing, and how these factors affect our interpretation of reality.”
[L. Dougherty, 2024]

ProvenanceThe artist; with Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY; sold to NCMA, 2016. Object Rights Statement

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