Dancing at the Louvre, from the series The French Collectiom, Part I; #1
Faith Ringgold. France, Europe. 1991 C.E. Acrylic on canvas, tie-dyed, pieced fabric border
To break boundaries and combine a multitude of artistic techniques. Combines Modern art, African-American culture, and
personal experiences
Form:
-acrylic on canvas with fabric borders
-1991
-American slave art- as seen in the quilt- to create her work
-combines the traditional use of oil paint with the quilting technique
-NY born African American artist
Combined representational painting and African-American quilting techniques w/ the written word (margins of quilt), Dancing at the Louvre is first in a series of 12 "story quilts" called The French Collection; more like folk art than fine art
Function:
-quilt has a narrative element and is not meant to be put on a bed
-quilts were meant to be both beautiful and useful
-acting out a history that may not have actually taken place
Challenges views to consider expectations of gender and race, as well as traditional expectations/values of what art might be; rewrites history to make a place for women like herself
Content:
-Willia Marie Simone (made of character) takes her friend and three daughters to the Louvre museum and dances in front of three paintings by Leonardo DaVinci
-feminist issues dominate
-quilting is usually seen as a woman's work
Context:
-part of modern painting
-represented in the use of acrylic paint
-take a very little time to dry and do not change color when they dry- became very popular
Drew from own struggles for recognition in art world dominated by European traditions and male artists; reflects shift toward postmodernism art - highlighted implicit biases in accepted forms of art (race/gender); quilting associated w/ domestic work and communication (Underground Railroad)
Cross-Cultural Comparison: Woven Arts
- the Bayeux Tapestry
