mel chin

The Extraction of Plenty From What Remains: 1823-


1989
wood, plaster, pulverized sandstone, whitewash, steel, banana tree fibers, mud, coffee, blood, Honduran mahogany
12 feet x 8 feet 9 inches x 5 feet 8 inches

Two “broken,” full-scale replicated White House columns compress a barren horn of plenty. The cracks that crown each column are silhouetted signatures of ten U.S. presidents (from Monroe to Reagan) who have authorized policies of devastating consequences for the countries of Central America. The cornucopia is made of materials synonymous with that area of the world (banana, mahogany and coffee) and is bathed in a mixture of coffee, mud, and blood.

detail