1992

Reversed Evidence

American, born 1955

Since the late 1980s, Cole has created numerous works consisting of scorch marks on paper, canvas, or ironing board covers, in which a pattern is burned into the support with an old-fashioned flatiron. The rich, dark tones of the burnt patterns often resemble African textiles, and although they have a contemporary look, the scorch pieces inherently allude to African ritualistic beliefs and activities-such as scarification or fire myths-and to the role of domestic labor, such as ironing, in the African American experience. In some instances, like this example, the work is encased in an old window frame.