Acrylic and sand on shaped lauan plywood with dowel and cowrie shells, 2003. Approximately 914x400 mm; 36x15¾ inches. Signed, titled and dated in ink on the verso.
Provenance: acquired directly from the artist; private collection.
Strange Fruit #2 is an excellent example of Kevin Cole's painted mixed-media constructions on wood. Cole's grandfather inspired this ribboned "necktie" motif after a visit to a historic tree where African American men were lynched by their neckties on their way to vote during the Jim Crow Era. Cole uses painterly sensibilities to pay homage to the African American history while articulating compositions that inspire beauty and strength.
