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
Topic
Architecture
Black geographies
Design
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.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ec79c704-72b7-44d1-93d2-be0c935789e5

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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