Bell for Cheena Ireli
Date1990
Artist
Tyrone Mitchell
(American sculptor, born 1944)
MediumWood with black and red stain and green acrylic
Dimensionsoverall: 93 × 28 × 28 in. (236.2 × 71.1 × 71.1 cm)
base: 27 × 28 × 28 in. (68.6 × 71.1 × 71.1 cm)
center: 47 × 6 × 7 in. (119.4 × 15.2 × 17.8 cm)
top: 41 × 18 × 8 in. (104.1 × 45.7 × 20.3 cm)
base: 27 × 28 × 28 in. (68.6 × 71.1 × 71.1 cm)
center: 47 × 6 × 7 in. (119.4 × 15.2 × 17.8 cm)
top: 41 × 18 × 8 in. (104.1 × 45.7 × 20.3 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mike and Rob Abel, 2006
Object number2006-70
On View
Not on viewCollections
ClassificationsSCULPTURE
Label TextTyrone Mitchell received his training at the New York Studio School and the Art Students League. Influenced by his study of the Dogon culture, Mitchell creates masterfully carved wooden sculptures that convey the influence of African art. In Bell for Cheena Ireli, Mitchell returned to a specific African symbol-the decorated bronze bells prized in Nigerian (Igbo and Yoruba) cultures. The sculpture follows the general shape of the bell with its looped handle, but reproduces it on an unexpected scale in a simplified form. Its scale evokes a human, and it is named for his daughter.
