Faith Ringgold, "Tar Beach 2"


 This week is a total switch to something quite wonderful, but different from images looked at in the past.  It is a painted story quilt created by Faith Ringgold.   
  I am not pleased with how this image came out, it is not very sharp, but it is such an amazing work, let's give it a try.  I have discovered that making copies of most current works run into copyright issues, as seems to be the case with this one.  
    Faith Ringgold has an interesting history.  She is a very successful American artist reaching into several Art venues, including children's books.  Her first was the title of this quilt, Tar Beach.  She centers her art around the American Black experience.  Although she does paint, she also has chosen to create quilts to remove any association with traditional Western European and American cultural ideas.  Her quilts have that marvelous folk art tradition yet reach far beyond into a real visual pictorial delight.   
  Tar Beach 2 is a painted story of an actual person, Cassie Louise Lightfoot, who was 8 years old in 1990 when this quilt was made.  It shows her dream of flying over her apartment home in Harlem, New York, escaping her reality.  In the lower center we see the family on the building roof, some sitting at the table while children rest on a blanket to the left.  It must be a warm summer evening.  I encourage you to Google the image to get a sharp look at it. 
   Next Monday, I promise to select an image I can copy more precisely.  
   Tar Beach 2 is part of the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  It measures 66 by 67 inches, and is made labeled as a multicolored screen print on several different fabrics: silk, cotton and a synthetic.  
                                   Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.

Comments

  1. Char HarguthNovember 10, 2020 at 2:19 PM

    I remember looking at her work in Wednesday group! I looked her up, and am amazed at the amount, and the variety of her work. She not only told her story, but the story of many others. She was bold and confident, venturing into every avenue of life. Nothing deterred her from working in different media. I think her quilts are just fabulous. Colorful stories are told with such detail and excellence. Is she still alive? I see her dated to 2020!

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  2. Art Expert On LineNovember 14, 2020 at 7:32 AM

    Yes, she is 90 years old, living in New York City. Amazing woman! And, Sunday, November 15th is Wayne Thiebaud's 100 birthday! We covered Thiebaud's painiting "Sunset Streets", way back on September 22, 2019. It was my 24th entry. Happy Birthday, Wayne!

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