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Outwit to Outlast
Artwork Title: Two Builders Playing Chess
Artist: Jacob Lawrence
1996, soft ground etching and aquatint on paper, Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis, 2000/2.124
COMMUNITY COMMENTARY
"This print combines two themes that Jacob Lawrence explored at various times in his artistic career: people playing games of thought, such as chess, and the workplaces of builders or craftspeople. Personal acquaintances and observations of everyday life were his inspiration. The subjects also served as metaphor for aspirations held by American workers, particularly African Americans, for advancement in American society and the strategic savvy needed to navigate the struggles they faced.

The Mott-Warsh Collection has numerous prints by Jacob Lawrence, so I am intimately familiar with his work. What I most admire is his skillful manipulation and control of line, color and space. He uses these elements along with figurative gesture to guide the viewer's eye through his compositions, creating tension and meaning in the image that are open for interpretation. Here, our focus is on the chess players silhouetted mostly in black. He also uses black for the two vertical bands behind them, yet we instinctively distinguish foreground and background. The large, stylized hands of the men are rendered as if they are anthropomorphic extensions of the tools that surround them. The intriguing trio of skin colors may point to racial harmony, but they also provide visual harmony. Lawrence accomplishes all of this with a minimal palette modulated by the additions of black, white and gray. 

Lawrence’s masterful expression of the human condition through an authentic modernist style is what makes him one of the more fascinating artists of the 20th century."
Commentary contributed by:
Stephanie James
Director, Curator and Collection Educator
Mott-Warsh Collection and MW Gallery

Reflection Prompts:
  • In Lawrence's scene above, the chess board and building tools lay spread out before the viewer, ready to be used. What "tools" are in your own emotional or spiritual tool box? Have you used them recently?
  • What connections can you see between the intellectual pursuit and challenges of both chess and life?
  • Looking at the appearance and demeanor of the two chess players, how do they differ? What might Lawrence be trying to tell you about the differences between these two men?
"Manipulation II", Aïcha Sacha, 2020, graphite on bristol paper, image courtesy the artist, used with permission. © 2020 Aïcha Sacha
Artist Highlight

Artist Aïcha Sacha describes her work as using "extreme contrasts to portray often dark topics."

Her graphite portrait series uses deep blacks and stark whites; geometric lines and curves to tackle subjects ranging from mental health and abuse to racism and sexism, "but also celebrates Black women with all of their facets and abilities."
Black History Month Tours at the MW Gallery
For Black History Month, the MW Gallery in Flint, MI is offering scheduled, in-person tours of its latest exhibition "Examining Identity Construction: Selections from the Mott-Warsh Collection." The exhibition explores the dynamics of identity and the visual representation of African Americans.

You can also explore the exhibition online.
Image: Tim Thayer, courtesy of the MW Gallery
LISTEN: Slaying King George
From The Moth: "Maurice Ashley made history when he became the first African-American to attain the title of International Grandmaster of Chess in 1999. A member of the US Chess Hall of Fame and a commentator for the world's most prestigious chess events, he has released a chess app called 'Learn Chess! With Maurice Ashley.'"

This story was recorded in 2012 as part of The Moth.
Image from themoth.org
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