Zanzibar Black 1975

Barbara Chase-Riboud created Zanzibar Black using contrasting materials of cast bronze and waxed linen rope. The combination gives the sculpture a striking visual tension. Notice the smooth, dark metallic planes intersecting with the soft, fibrous texture of the rope. This deliberate pairing emphasizes the inherent qualities of each material, highlighting the weight and permanence of the bronze against the flexibility and tactile nature of the rope. Chase-Riboud’s methodology is as much about the physical process as it is the final form. Bronze casting is an intensive industrial process, while rope-making has a long history that extends from craft to maritime technology. By bringing these two modes of production together, she emphasizes the labor involved in creating the sculpture. This is no ‘fine art’ object in the traditional sense. Consideration of materials and making processes is crucial to appreciating the richness and complexity of works like Zanzibar Black, and the challenges they present to conventional art history.