Created by
Bailey, Radcliffe, American, 1968 - 2023
Date
2000
Medium
mixed media : acrylic, resin, glitter, metallic paint, with oak leaf and photographic materials on paper
Dimensions
H x W (sheet): 58 × 70 in. (147.3 × 177.8 cm)
H x W x D (framed): 62 9/16 × 74 11/16 × 2 3/8 in. (158.9 × 189.7 × 6 cm)
Caption
“I find myself trying to deal with the history and the pains but also wanting to deal with the beauty. . . . I often work with layers, often with seven layers, because I never know when to finish, but a lot of the layers have to deal with some of the complexities with who we are, as well.” — Radcliffe Bailey
Enroute is a multilayered exploration of memory, ancestral legacy, migration, and Black agency. It simultaneously references the route of the Middle Passage, where enslaved Africans traveled in bondage to the new world, the route on the underground railroad that enslaved people took in their quest for self-emancipation, and the great migration of Black southerners to major industrial northern cities to escape racial oppression and to pursue new opportunities and freedoms.
Description
A dense collage of paper and photographs mounted to paper with resin, all painted over in thick, swirling strokes of black, orange, ochre, and mint green acrylic paint. At the center of the artwork is a color photograph of a group of individuals aboard a dugout style boat on an open body of water. At each end of the boat is a figure standing and guiding the boat with poles. Other symbols and images throughout the artwork include train tracks, an oak leaf, the carved base of a chair, a statue figure, and pages with printed text.
Classification
Visual Arts
Type
collages
Topic
African diaspora
Art
Great Migration
Identity
Middle Passage
Migrations
Self-liberation
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Terry and Jennifer Weiss and family
Object number
2014.305ab
Restrictions & Rights
© Radcliffe Bailey
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd50e65d910-d70e-4fb0-8941-21ea31e334b8

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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