Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2017.

Revolutionary

Artist Wadsworth Jarrell (American, born 1929)

CultureAmerican

Date1972

MediumColor screen print

Dimensions32 3/4 × 26 1/2 in. (83.2 × 67.3 cm)
Overall, Frame: 42 7/8 × 33 × 1 1/4 in. (108.9 × 83.8 × 3.2 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase

Object number2017.34

Not on view

DescriptionColor screen print on off-white heavy woven paper of Angela Davis speaking with a microphone in hand. Bright pink, yellow, red and orange words and phrases make up the figurative image and surrounding design. It is a screen print version of Jarrell's acrylic on canvas painting of Angela Davis speaking to an unseen crowd, made in 1971.
Label TextWadsworth Jarrell American, b. 1929 Revolutionary, 1972 Color screen print This work by Wadsworth Jarrell is a stylized depiction of Angela Davis (b. 1944), a Black Panther, educator, and former member of the all-Black branch of the Communist Party. An academic, Davis champions against institutional injustices such as police brutality and prisons. In 1970, the activist was arrested in connection with a crime that was committed with a weapon that she purchased legally. However, Davis was not involved in the incident. After spending approximately eighteen months in jail, Davis was released and acquitted of all charges. International celebrities, including Aretha Franklin and John Lennon, helped publicize Davis’s case. Wadsworth depicted numerous political leaders such as Davis and Malcolm X and was a member of the African Commune of Black Relevant Artists (AFRI-COBRA). In 1968, this coalition of African American artists strategized how their work could contribute to the betterment of their community. The group presented empowering images of African Americans during a period of profound political strife. Phrases such as “Black is Beautiful” and “Resist” in the work emphasize self-pride and civil action. Museum purchase 2017.34 ProvenanceArtist; purchased by Chrysler Museum of Art, 2017 from Lusenhop Fine Art