Esther Knobel

(Poland/Israel, 1949)

necklace Train, 1987

tin, paint, textile
text: Ford lasts longer
inventory number 9.1995

This tin train, painted and provided with an abundance of crooked wheels, looks like a children’s toy. Israeli Esther Knobel (Françoise van den Bosch Award 1994) once said: “The choice of tin is, in itself, a rebellious act because it is an outsider material.” She used to work for a long time with this material. Forms and lettering can easily be pressed into the material.

This innocent train carries an explosive load. Through his newspaper, columns and other publications, Henry Ford expressed his virulent anti-Semite ideas. The train, use of colour, and the text are explicit references to the never ending anti-Semitism.