Repugnant Rapunzel (Let Down Your Hair)

Repugnant Rapunzel (Let Down Your Hair), with its gnarled tire knot leading to a thick rubber braid, puts a dark spin on the classic fairy tale by suggesting that there is hardship interspersed with beauty. For sculptor Chakaia Booker, repurposed rubber tires carry a range of cultural, historical, and visual associations, including textiles, African-American hair culture, physical aging, consumerism, and capitalism. While alluding to the rubber industry’s reliance on exploited African labor, this work also encourages viewers to reflect on their position within a system that renders people and resources expendable.