ANTI HYSTERIA DEVICE 2011

Yinka Shonibare’s Anti-Hysteria Device is a fascinating piece, made from wood, brass, and Dutch wax print. The sculpture is built like a machine, complete with gears, pipes, and what looks like a piston. But instead of being functional, it seems designed to provoke questions about social history. The Dutch wax print fabric, typically associated with African dress, is stretched tightly over what resembles a tongue depressor. This element of the artwork points directly to historical gender politics, and the pathologizing of women’s bodies. The work’s industrial aesthetic, achieved through Shonibare's choice of materials and fabrication methods, enhances its commentary on the exploitation of labor. The combination of the aesthetic, materials, and historical allusion prompts a reflection on how industrial and political forces intersect with the cultural treatment of women. Ultimately, Shonibare asks us to consider the materials, making, and context in understanding the full meaning of an artwork, which challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.