III

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Artist Lorna Simpson (American, b. 1960)

Title III

Date 1994

Medium Wood, felt, clay, metal, and and rubber

Dimensions Overall: 2 1/8 x 5 3/8 x 13 5/8 in. (5.4 x 13.7 x 34.6 cm)

Credit Line Gift of the Peter Norton family, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 94.218

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About this Work

III consists of three wishbones placed in a felt setting within a wooden box. The three wishbones refer to the three wishes that are traditionally offered by a genie in a fairy tale–and challenge the viewer to consider what he or she might wish for if given the opportunity.

The black, white, and gray wishbones also imply issues of race. Are we all really the same underneath our skin, or do differences of color permeate to our core? By using a simple, recognizable symbol, minimal words, and color, Simpson suggests a wish for racial equality.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"III | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=94.218