The Fabric of Activism
HE CALL TO courage and self-awareness is often catalyzed in our experiences with profound works of art as well as in acts of social change. In Faith Ringgold’s 1965 , these two capacities are ignited. Delineating a gesture of self-contained force with elegant linework and radiant color, Ringgold creates layers of meaning within this work, which is now a cen-terpiece of the exhibition “Faith Ringgold: American People,” at The New Museum in New York (February 17–July 5). Ringgold was 35 and working from a modest studio in the Harlem apartment when the portrait was created. Raising two young daughters while striving to make a place for herself in an exclusionary art world, she was deeply engaged with her sources of inspiration— from Zulu war shields to Picasso’s
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