Black and Grey Toaster

Margarita Cabrera, Black and Grey Toaster, 2011, vinyl, copper wire and thread, 7 1410 127 18 in. (18.426.718.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Frank K. Ribelin Endowment, 2012.36, © 2011, Margarita Cabrera

Artwork Details

Title
Black and Grey Toaster
Date
2011
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
7 1410 127 18 in. (18.426.718.1 cm)
Copyright
© 2011, Margarita Cabrera
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Frank K. Ribelin Endowment
Mediums Description
vinyl, copper wire and thread
Classifications
Subjects
  • Object — other — appliance
Object Number
2012.36

Artwork Description

Margarita Cabrera’s faux-leather appliances are reminders that many household electronics are made in factories in Mexico. The obvious craft process of sewing—emphasized by the exposed threads—symbolically makes visible the exploited human labor involved with mass production. Cabrera, who was born in Mexico and lives in Arizona, relates the sagging vinyl forms to the underpaid workers who help provide basic comforts in American homes.


This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022

Works by this artist (1 item)

Andrew Hudson, Tom and Mark, 1981, color lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of a friend of the artist, 1993.11
Tom and Mark
Date1981
color lithograph on paper
Not on view

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      This audio podcast series discusses artworks and themes in the exhibition Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In this episode, museum director Elizabeth Broun discusses sculptures by Margarita Cabrera

      Exhibitions

      Media - 2011.12 - SAAM-2011.12_1 - 77591
      Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
      October 25, 2013March 2, 2014
      Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge.
      Quilt featuring the portrait of a woman
      This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World
      May 13, 2022April 2, 2023
      This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World showcases the dynamic landscape of American craft today.

      More Artworks from the Collection

      Margarita Cabrera, White Coffee Maker, 2011, vinyl, copper wire and thread, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2012.35.2A-D, © 2011, Margarita Cabrera
      White Coffee Maker
      Date2011
      vinyl, copper wire and thread
      Not on view
      Margarita Cabrera, Brown Blender, 2011, vinyl, copper wire and thread, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2012.35.1A-D, © 2011, Margarita Cabrera
      Brown Blender
      Date2011
      vinyl, copper wire and thread
      Not on view