Pablo Escobar

Rachel HarrisonWW-2010-110238

2010·Wood, polystyrene, cement, acrylic, and ceramic peppers·251.5 × 55.9 × 58.4 cm (99 × 22 × 23 in.)

Since the mid-1990s, Rachel Harrison has produced abstract, handmade constructions of wood, cement, polystryene and paint that often sereve as supports for found photos and objects. Stubbornly physical yet highly conceptual, Harrison’s sculptures evoke ancient memorials and reflect the influence of today's celebrity-centric culture. Pablo Escobar belongs to a handful of sculptures named for prominent men including former vice president Al Gore, golfer Tiger Woods, and singer-songwriter Antoine "Fats" Domino, among others. Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (1949–1993) was a Colombian drug lord once regarded as the richest and most successful criminal in history. This vividly painted work, with its drooping bouquet of ceramic chili peppers, stands as a biting critique of cultural representations and stereotypes.

Catalogue

Year: 2010
Medium: Wood, polystyrene, cement, acrylic, and ceramic peppers
Dimensions: 251.5 × 55.9 × 58.4 cm (99 × 22 × 23 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Rachel Harrison

Artist

Rachel Harrison

Painting

Rachel Harrison is an American visual artist known for her sculpture, photography, and drawing. Her work often combines handmade forms with found objects or photographs, bringing art history, politics, and pop culture into dialogue with one another. She has been included in numerous exhibitions in Europe and the US, including the Venice Biennale, the Whitney Biennial and the Tate Triennial (2009). Her work is in the collections of major museums such as The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; and Tate Modern, London; among others. She lives and works in New York.

New York, NY, USA

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