Xenobia Bailey (American, b. 1955). Mothership 1: Sistah Paradise’s Great Walls of Fire Revival Tent, 2002. Cotton and acrylic yarn, metal frame, electrical tape, shells, 10 × 5 × 5 ft. (304.9 × 152.4 × 152.4 cm). Courtesy of the artist and the Stefan Stux Gallery, New York
Mothership 1: Sistah Paradise’s Great Walls of Fire Revival Tent
August 24, 2005–March 12, 2006
This installation is part of an ongoing project by Xenobia Bailey called Paradise Under Reconstruction in the Aesthetic of Funk. On view is the section, Mothership 1: Sistah Paradise’s Great Walls of Fire Revival Tent, which is inspired by the lack of historical documentation on the enslavement of Africans in America.
Bailey creates a tactile representation of a mythology designed to explain the presence of Africans in America. She relates the history of colonization to contemporary struggles for justice and equality for African Americans. Working primarily in crochet, Bailey employs African craft traditions to connect African American heritage and African culture.