Created by
Gatson, Rico, American, born 1966
Photograph by
Unidentified
Manufactured by
Baobab Frames and Art Services, American, founded 1985
Subject of
Tyson, Cicely, American, 1924 - 2021
Date
2022
Medium
colored pencils with photograph collage on paper with acrylic, plastic, wood and metal
Dimensions
H x W x D: 25 7/16 × 33 9/16 × 1 15/16 in. (64.6 × 85.3 × 5 cm)
Caption
Cicely is part of a series of works on paper called Icons, which Gatson began in 2007. In these works, the artist begins with photographs of African Americans legends, including Sidney Poitier, Muhammad Ali, Lena Horne, Thelonious Monk, Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Charlie Parker, Stokely Carmichael, and more. He then surrounds each individual with rays of color that emanate from their bodies like sunbursts, radiating power, intelligence, and energy. Inspired in part by the 1960s political graphic design of Emery Douglass, the Black Panthers’ minister of culture, Gatson also draws on the formal qualities of Bauhaus, Constructivism, and early modern religious icons.
Description
A color pencil and photographic collage featuring an image of Cicely Tyson as part of the Icons series by Rico Gatson. The collage is on white paper mounted on white board and framed inside a white, rectangular, shadow box. At the bottom center of the collage is a cutout, black-and-white photographic image of Cicely Tyson. Tyson is shown from the chest up, leaning slightly forward, and smiling at the viewer. Her arms are held slightly forward and tightly at her sides. She wears a lacy blouse with a high collared neck and a beaded necklace with a large pendant with three drops. Her hair is braided and twisted into a high top knot. At the front center of her forehead is a small, braided loop that holds a large round bead in a drop over her forehead. Radiating out from the image of Tyson are four sets of black, yellow, red, and green rays.
Place made
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Portfolio/Series
Icons
Classification
Visual Arts
Type
works of art
collages
Topic
Actors
Art
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2023.81.3
Restrictions & Rights
© Rico Gatson
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd564361646-2df0-420b-b30b-0d92beedcfe8

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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