Created by
McGhee, Allie, American, born 1941
Date
1984
Medium
Acrylic, enamel, and paint stick on panel
Dimensions
H x W x D: 48 × 120 × 2 7/8 in. (121.9 × 304.8 × 7.3 cm)
Description
A large, rectangular, abstract mixed-media work rendered in large, layered areas and forms of muted colors and black against a light grey background. The left half of the canvas consists of layered areas of black and cream forming a vaguely mountainous shape, with short, frenetic strokes of ochre, black, pink, and blue. Across the top is a swath of black paint forming a reaching hand and at the base is a large black rectangle with dark grey letters amidst dark grey markings and a speckling of blue paint. The legible letters spell "BE" at top left and "FREEDOM" at the bottom. Above the mountainous form, at top left, is a crescent shape composed of visible brushstrokes of black, pale pink, brown, blue and yellow. It connects to the form below via broken strokes of blue on the left and black at the right. The top right corner features mostly rectangular forms in blue, black, white and light brown arranged around a swath of pink. Within the black rectangle, which adjoins a black half-circle, is a small rectangle rendered in brown and blue with a pink heart inside. It connects to the set of forms on the left via a narrow rectangle of pink. The artist's signature [A. MCGhee] appears at the right side, in black. On the verso, also handwritten in black marker, is: [Allie McGhee 842-9375 / 48 x 120 / No Apartheid].
Place made
United States, North and Central America
Portfolio/Series
Poured Paintings
Classification
Visual Arts
Movement
Anti-apartheid movements
Type
multimedia works
paintings
Topic
Abstraction
Africa
Art
Race discrimination
Resistance
Violence
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2023.38.2
Restrictions & Rights
© Allie McGhee
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd50274d994-8193-4b0f-825f-768ce11282bc

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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