Check out what our friends over at LYLL are cooking up with Nathan Wright
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In 1968, Nathan Wright was convicted and incarcerated despite maintaining his innocence. Consequently, he was sentenced to serve 170 years in prison. During his incarceration, Wright discovered his talent for painting. In 1975, an exhibition of his artwork at the South Side Community Art Center proved instrumental in supporting his defense fund, "Friends of Nathan Wright," which was overseen by Dr. Margaret Burroughs, a prominent Chicago artist and activist, and founder of The DuSable Museum. Permission was granted by the prison warden for Wright to briefly depart Pontiac Prison and attend the exhibition's final day, which drew an audience of over seven hundred individuals. Dr. Burroughs, alongside other Black artists involved in the prison system, established connections between educational and cultural institutions and the expanding prison framework. They concentrated their efforts on Stateville and Pontiac prisons, two state institutions catering to adult males. Dr. Burroughs and The DuSable Museum played integral roles in this initiative. In “Mother and Child,” Wright depicts, in profile, a beautiful dark-skinned woman carrying a sleeping baby on her back, while balancing a woven basket laden with fruit on her head. The mother's expression is serene and contemplative, directed slightly over her right shoulder. Her attire suggests traditional garments, likely from a specific culture in Africa, and she is presented in a way that emphasizes her strength and resilience. The baby is nestled in a woven wrap, appearing peaceful and secure. The basket on her head draws our attention to the considerable weight she's carrying. The arrangement is simple, yet effective in conveying a sense of everyday life and the burden of motherhood. Warm lighting casts subtle shadows and highlights on the mother and baby. The background tones are muted, shifting between browns and golds, creating a backdrop that emphasizes the woman and her burden.
“Mother and Child” by Nathan Wright (American) - Oil on canvas / c. 1975 - DuSable Black History Museum (Chicago, Illinois) #WomenInArt #Art #ArtText #OilPainting #DuSableBlackHistoryMuseum #TheDU #NathanWright #AfricanAmericanArt #AfricanAmericanArtist #womensart #mother #artwork #portraitofawoman