Margarita Cabrera, White Coffee Maker, 2011, vinyl, copper wire and thread, 12 3⁄4 x 8 3⁄4 x 10 1⁄2 in. (32.5 x 22.3 x 26.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2012.35.2A-D, © 2011, Margarita Cabrera
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Artwork Details
- Title
- White Coffee Maker
- Artist
- Date
- 2011
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 12 3⁄4 x 8 3⁄4 x 10 1⁄2 in. (32.5 x 22.3 x 26.7 cm)
- Copyright
- © 2011, Margarita Cabrera
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
- Mediums Description
- vinyl, copper wire and thread
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Object — other — appliance
- Object Number
- 2012.35.2A-D
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)
Videos
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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
October 25, 2013–March 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.
May 13, 2022–April 2, 2023
This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World showcases the dynamic landscape of American craft today.