Artist with American Inspiration: 4 World Financial Center

Date2004

Maker Meschac Gaba Dutch, born Benin 1961

Label TextMeschac Gaba’s smile overtakes the eagle’s position on an American dollar bill. On the West African 1000 franc note, the artist inserts an image of one of his sculptures, a braided hair wig that hovers mysteriously on the left side. His provocative combinations remind us that the bills we handle every day are a lesson in symbols of the state, an icon usually not to be disturbed. Gaba’s monetary revisions also echo the currency fluctuations that are common in African economies.

Object number2012.22.1

Provenance[Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa]; purchased from gallery by present owner

Photo CreditPhoto: Elizabeth Mann

Exhibition HistoryCape Town, South Africa, Michael Stevenson Gallery, Meshac Gaba: Tresses + Other Recent Projects, Aug. 16 - Sep.15, 2007 (Johannesburg, South Africa, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Nov. 6, 2007 - Jan. 31, 2008). Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, In This Imperfect Present Moment, July 21, 2018 - June 16, 2019. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Art and Commerce, July 27 2024–January 12, 2025.Published ReferencesGaba, Meshac, et al. Tresses + Other Recent Projects, (Cape Town and Johannesburg: Michael Stevenson Gallery/Johannesburg Art Gallery, 2007), p. 18 (color).

Credit LineGift of Vascovitz Family

Dimensions18 1/8 x 42 15/16 in. (46 x 109 cm)

MediumPigmented inkjet print