Activity# 2

Activity #2

"Interior"

Horace Pippin created “Interior”, oil on canvass in 1944. The context of this canvass would suggest that his content involves some sort of poverty issues. Pippin uses white as his base color then mixes it with blue and gray for the light of his background (91). Occasionally the colors of black and red are used to create struggle colors especially in the value of the canvass (92). The implied lines would further suggest the older child is trying to calm the baby by rocking him to keep him quiet (86). This canvass reminds me of the television show “Good Times” where they always had a canvass of an African American person or family painted in their everyday life. However, when a viewer looks at this canvass it is seen as a three-dimensional space canvass because it shows the man of a professional background, while the mother was either tired or sick and the children was trying to stay out of everyone’s way (106). When I further look at this canvass, I see the history of the stove, candles, and the floor. I enjoyed this canvass because it showed the picture of a family full of struggles, but rich in life.


"Street on Mbari"

In 1964, Jacob Lawrence produced “Street on Mbari”, which was a tempera canvass. Lawrence uses pattern, primary and warm colors, as well as three dimensional spaces. This canvass shows us that people are of different colors with the primary and warm colors expressed (95). It reminds me of the Eastern Market here in D.C. because of the variation of items that were on sale. The three dimensional space observes the canvass from side-to-side and front and back (106). There are many tones in this canvass that suggest the climate was very dry with high humidity. Value mixes the colors of dark in light in regard of the people’s skin tone and the color of the clothing (96). Because everyone was wearing clothing that was very detailed with African symbols or signs, the carrying of children on their backs, and packages that were carefully placed on their heads I would be safe to say they were of African descent. The implied and contoured lines showed how people were moving in different directions by their shapes (83, 86). The lighting was implied by the shades of yellow for the sun that could mean morning (91). This canvass told of compassion, integration, and creativity.