A large-scaled draped tapestry with an image of men lined up against a chain link fence surroun…

Untitled

Artist Noel W Anderson (American, born 1981)

Date2019

MediumDistressed Jacquard tapestry

Dimensions156 × 108 inches (396.2 × 274.3 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds provided by the Jack W. Lindsay Acquisition Endowment Fund.

Object number2020.20

On View

On view

Copyright© 2019, Noel W Anderson. The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextNoel W Anderson utilizes print-media and arts-based research to explore identity formation. He primarily focuses on the interpretation of historical images related to Black masculinity. This work appropriates a 1970 photograph of members of the New Orleans Black Panther Party held up against a chain link fence and surrounded by law enforcement, drawing connections between this moment and contemporary acts of police brutality. Anderson reprocesses the original image through distortion―digitally altering the picture before having it woven, distressing the fabric, and hanging it. The drape of the tapestry cloaks parts of the image, physically and metaphorically denying easy comprehension, and thus emphasizing the difficulty of understanding the complexity of Black identity. Anderson’s use of the Jacquard loom takes control of a tool traditionally reserved for producing luxury goods for wealthy elites to relocate Black representation, both in the past and present.

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