Big James Sweats Buckets

Vik Muniz, Big James Sweats Buckets, 1996, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, 1998.31.1
Vik Muniz, Big James Sweats Buckets, 1996, gelatin silver print, sheet: 14 x 11 in. (35.6 x 27.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, 1998.31.1

Artwork Details

Title
Big James Sweats Buckets
Artist
Date
1996
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet: 14 x 11 in. (35.6 x 27.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation
Mediums Description
gelatin silver print
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • African American
  • Figure male — child — bust
Object Number
1998.31.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1998.31.1

Artwork Description

Vik Muniz drew portraits of the children of sugar cane workers he met on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts using sugar crystals on black paper, which he then photographed for the series he called "The Sugar Children." As he wipes the paper clean after creating each image and begins again, his actions and his subjects' lives take on symbolic value, suggesting that generations of cane workers have been consumed by the sugar industry.

Works by this artist (6 items)

View all artworks
Vik Muniz, Valentina, the Fastest, 1996, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, 1998.31.5
Valentina, the Fastest
Artist
Date1996
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Vik Muniz, Ten Ten's Weed Necklace, 1996, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, 1998.31.4
Ten Ten’s Weed Necklace
Artist
Date1996
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Vik Muniz, Little Calist Can't Swim, 1996, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, 1998.31.3
Little Calist Can’t Swim
Artist
Date1996
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Vik Muniz, Jacynthe Loves Orange Juice, 1996, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, 1998.31.2
Jacynthe Loves Orange Juice
Artist
Date1996
gelatin silver print
Not on view

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Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled, ca. 1945-1950, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Lewis and Jean Greenblatt, 2002.86.7
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Artist
Dateca. 1945-1950
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Jared French, Margaret French, PaJaMa, Paul Cadmus, PaJaMa (Box A), ca. 1937, gelatin silver prints, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Margaret French, 1999.98.5.16
PaJaMa (Box A)
Artist
Dateca. 1937
gelatin silver prints
Not on view