About this artwork
The title of this fabric pattern is taken in part from the name of a dance popular in the early 1960s. The Vibrations’s 1961 hit song “The Wausi” describes a foot-sliding, shoulder-shimmying, hip-wiggling dance similar to the Twist. The Watusi can be danced solo, and the neon-yellow zebra standing alone behind the leafy green plant stalks suggests the electric and independent spirit of the dance. The Vibrations, however, invite their listeners to join in with the line “Come on, try, sugar pie, keep with the beat, and Watusi, Watusi with me.”
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Textiles
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Artists
- Ben Rose (Designer) , Ben Rose, Inc. (Producer)
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Title
- Mr. Zebra & Watusi (Furnishing Fabric)
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Places
- Chicago (Object made in), Illinois (Object made in), United States (Object made in), North and Central America (Object made in)
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Date
- Made 1983
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Medium
- Polyester, plain weave; screenprinted
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Dimensions
- 183.2 × 127.4 cm (72 1/8 × 50 1/8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Rose
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Reference Number
- 1995.90.17
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
