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Catalog Data

Maker:
Willie Bester, born 1956, South Africa  Search this
Medium:
Metal, paint, burlap, glass, plexiglass, bone, plastic, cloth, wood, rubber, paper, wire
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 175 x 100 x 21 cm (68 7/8 x 39 3/8 x 8 1/4 in.)
Type:
Sculpture
Geography:
South Africa
Date:
1995
Label Text:
Once imprisoned under apartheid for loitering, Bester memorializes the history of harassment and oppression in South Africa's black settlements with The Notorious Green Car and its mesh window screen that recalls police vehicles. His mixed media compositions, which employ photographs, recycled found objects and paint, suggest the artist's anger against social injustice and reflect the experiences of urban South Africans.
Description:
Mixed media sculpture in black with a car door with a yellow mesh screen and various human figures.
Exhibition History:
Heroes: Principles of African Greatness, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 16, 2019–October 3, 2021
Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue - From the Collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and Camille O. and William H. Cosby, Jr., National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, November 7, 2014-January 24, 2016
Body of Evidence-Rotation 1, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 14-October 15, 2006
Encounters with the Contemporary, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., January 7, 2001-January 6, 2002
Claiming Art / Reclaiming Space: Post Apartheid Art from South Africa, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 21-September 26, 1999
Simunye: We are One, Adelson Gallery, New York, June 4-July 1, 1996
Published References:
Kreamer, Christine Mullen and Adrienne L. Childs (eds). 2014. Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue from the Collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and Camille O. and William H. Cosby, Jr. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 145, pl. 63.
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
Credit Line:
Museum purchase
Object number:
96-26-1
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
Copyright:
© 1995 Willie Bester
See more items in:
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source:
National Museum of African Art
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys772151565-052a-4043-98fc-5bbde3d1db5a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmafa_96-26-1