Willie Cole is an African-American artist who makes two- and three-dimensional works focusing on domestic objects. For example, he has used the domestic iron as a printing plate to scorch patterns onto paper or cloth. The shape of the flat iron plate and the patterns of steam holes evoke various associations: African tribal mask, slave-ship ‘bunk’ plan and scarification marks. The iron itself can be seen as a symbol of domestic labour and the scorching alludes to the branding of slaves.

More recently Cole has employed digital technology to play with these same ideas, using an Iris ink-jet printer. Loyal and Dependable is one of six prints of domestic irons photographed from above and then manipulated with the aid of a computer to remove cords, plugs and so on. The titles of this series, which include Quick as a Wink and Satisfaction Guaranteed, are taken from the advertising campaigns of different manufacturers, reflecting corporate ‘tribal rivalry’. More seriously, the captions also recall those used to advertise slaves throughout North America from the 17th to the 19th centuries.