- Designed by
- Matthews, Demar, American
- Subject of
- Unidentified Man or Men
- Date
- May 2020
- Medium
- digital
- Dimensions
- File size (Total): 21.05 MB
- Caption
- As Black residents are forced out of their neighborhoods by rising housing prices (a result of gentrification in Los Angeles), architectural designer Demar Matthews wanted to center his designs on what he dubs “Unearthing the Black Aesthetic.” This digital illustration is an extension of Matthews' project “R Cloud House.” Prospectively sited in Watts, the 700 square foot structure is imagined as a maker space to be shared, with a community kitchen with access to fresh fruit and vegetables. The form of R Cloud House is inspired by the “shotgun” style house used by Black residents of New Orleans and the project's façade takes pattern inspiration from box braids and waves. The roof itself, and its representations in Matthews' renderings like this one, resemble a crown, calling attention to the significance of the person who wears it - in this case, a Black person for whom the design is made.
- Description
- A digital image of an architectural rendering titled "Black Elevation." It consists of a single Portable Network Graphics file (.png). The image's background is a pale orange with a large beige circle in the middle. Lines with concentric ovals and rectangles occupy the circle. At the center of two of the ovals, there are smaller yellow circular shapes with wave-like exteriors. A black and white photograph of a shirtless man standing in profile occupies much of the image's center. He wears a gold earring in his proper left ear, while a translucent yellow flower is digitally added to his lips. A digital rendering of an asymmetrical building, reminiscent of a crown, sits atop the man's head. Some of its walls feature concentric circles and squares, similar to the ones in the large brown circle. A gold symbol, like the yellow ones in the large circle, occupies the center of each of the concentric circles. The building’s roof, like its walls, is asymmetrical with peaks and ridges.
- Place depicted
- Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- Rendering Visible
- Classification
- Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
- Type
- renderings
- digital images
- digital media - born digital
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Demar Matthews
- Object number
- 2022.106.1
- Restrictions & Rights
- © Demar Matthews
- Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




