Eat Cake

2012

Wangechi Mutu

Kenyan, born 1972

Contemporary Art

Like much of Wangechi Mutu’s multidisciplinary work, Eat Cake focuses on a female protagonist. A mysterious woman (played by Mutu) with unkempt hair, clawlike nails, and translucent platform heels messily devours, and then destroys, a chocolate cake. The woman’s sumptuous clothing and voracious appetite invite reflection on humankind’s separation from the natural world and patterns of excessive consumption. Her ritualistic movements suggest an attempt to reconnect with both the earthly and spirit realms of the forest around her (in actuality, nearby Prospect Park).
Maker/Artist
Wangechi Mutu
Classification
Media Art
Formatted Medium
Video (black and white, sound): 12 minutes, 45 seconds; wooden pallets; newsprint
Departments
Contemporary Art
Accession Number
2014.9
Credit Line
Alfred T. White Fund
Rights Statement
© artist or artist's estate

Have a concern, a correction, or something to add?

Similar Artworks

musefully

Open source Elasticsearch & Next.js museum search.

Let's Stay Connected