Details

Title

Pyramid

Artist/Maker

Eldren M Bailey (American, 1903–1987)

Date

1970s

Medium

Concrete, plastic beads, pennies, jewelry, buttons, wood

Dimensions

11 × 12 3/4 × 12 1/2 inches

Credit

Museum purchase, and gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation from the William S. Arnett Collection

Accession #

2017.30

On View

On View - Stent Family Wing, Skyway, Gallery 404

Eldren M. Bailey constructed an outdoor sculpture garden in Southwest Atlanta filled with monumental bleached concrete sculptures that ranged from renderings of political figures to the crucifixion of Christ. Pyramid is a memorial sculpture dedicated to a woman Bailey knew. The pyramidal form—inlaid with stones, costume jewelry, and pennies—functions as a memory jug where the adornments allude to the legacy of the deceased. Bailey’s use of pennies can be traced to the African American tradition of affixing currency to graves, which was believed to bring good fortune.

More from this Artist

Browse Related Artwork

Billy and Minzly
Billy and Minzly

Rahim Fortune

Tire Shop
Tire Shop

Rahim Fortune

Male figure
Male figure

Lobi Artist, Ivory Coast

Gem’s Arm
Gem’s Arm

Rahim Fortune

Say My Name
Say My Name

Fahamu Pecou

(not entered)
(not entered)

Lobi Artist, Ivory Coast

Studio (0X5A8180), 2021
Studio (0X5A8180), 2021

Paul Mpagi Sepuya

(not entered)
(not entered)

East African Artist

Male figure
Male figure

Luluwa Artist, Democratic Republic of the Congo