While walking around the
Contemporary wing at the National Gallery, I came across the Kerry James
Marshall exhibit in the Tower. I was struck by the scale and vividness of
Marshall’s paintings, as well as the subject matter, which dealt with issues of
slavery and racism in America. Aesthetically, Marshall really appealed to my
love of collage. The way that he layers paint, adds in different and I found
his use of historical facts to create a narrative arc within his paintings. In
fact, I tend to struggle with artworks that do not have a sense of narrative
within them. I think it’s the English major in me.
Marshall has been dubbed one of the
most important painters of his generation. His paintings in this showing depict
African Americans in different stages of struggle: from slaves crossing the
Middle Passage to modern-day children still struggling to assimilate into
white-washed housing developments.
I
chose Marshall’s painting “Our Town” (1995). I was taken in by the dichotomy of
order and chaos in the composition, which depicts two black children and a dog
leaving a clean, attractive development. The work, with the cheery red and
white letters spelling out “Our Town” at the top, looks like a mural one might
see on the side of a building or school to boost morale, were it not for the
streaks of paint obscuring several sections of it. There is a vandalized quality
to the painting – some of the paint in the letters looks worn away, a splotch
of black paint covers the bright green grass, pieces of white paper add to a
collaged, haphazard feeling.
Marshall
draws upon sociology, history, and literature in this work. Themes of race and
class are inherent- all of the figures are black - even the dog has black
spots. The young girl is wearing what appears to be a school uniform, perhaps
signifying her enrollment in a private or parochial school. A boy rides a
glossy new bike with streamers and a woman stands outside the biggest of the
houses, waving at the children. Is she waving them back to the house or waving
goodbye? The woman wears an apron, but it’s unclear if she’s the homeowner or
the housekeeper. These questions emphasize the sociological underpinnings seen
in all of Marshall’s work. The title comes from the 1938 play by Thornton
Wilder, which chronicles the lives of a group of townspeople in the fictional
town of Grover’s Corners between the years of 1901-1913. The play ends on a
decidedly dour note, questioning the point of existence and the idea of
eternity. With this knowledge in mind, Marshall’s work seems to lean toward
satire, the children running out of the bright neighborhood to an unknown
place, mirroring the play’s moving away from convention, towards existentialism
and a sense of uncertainty.
In my own
work, I’m constantly trying to balance a cheery, brightly colored aesthetic
with deeper, metaphorical, at times uncomfortable subject matter beneath it.
Looking at other contemporary artists is always helpful because it gives me
perspective on my own work and allows me to see how far I could stretch myself.
Marshall’s work is inspiring to me because he’s successfully worked with
difficult subject matter (racism, slavery, corruption) in a compelling way that
informs the viewer without alienating him or her. My work most often deals with
gender issues and the different patriarchal constraints put on women and girls
in literature. Marshall’s work will be good to keep in mind as I continue to
explore topics of oppression, freedom, femininity and alienation while trying
to balance the dark with the light.
"Our Town," 1995
Acrylic and collage on unstretched canvas, 100 x 124 inches
