Copyright %C2%A9 Rico Gatson%2C published by Highpoint Editions
Color photolithograph and photopolymer gravureexpand_more
Highpoint Editions Archive, The Friends of Bruce B. Dayton Acquisition Fund and the Christina N. and Swan J. Turnblad Memorial Fundexpand_more 2020.85.45
Rico Gatson, a multidisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles, uses a distinctive style of portraiture to explore issues of Black consciousness, identity, and sociopolitical power dynamics. This mixed media print portrays Harriet Tubman, a leading American abolitionist and political activist. Called the “Moses of her people,” Tubman was born into an enslaved family but escaped and devoted her life to freeing other enslaved persons using the network of safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. The portrait is part of Gatson’s long-running “Icons” series of paintings, drawings, and prints that celebrates prominent Black civil rights activists, writers, musicians, actors, and sports figures. In these works, Gatson combined existing black-and-white photographs with radiating lines of brilliant color that symbolize centers of power. Gatson explains: “I was thinking early on about these figures as superheroes. As the series progressed, they became literally icons—the halos and lines are a graphic representation of energy coming out of them. The most important part for me is feeling.”
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Copyright © Rico Gatson, published by Highpoint Editions