Cityscape on Black
Datec. 1995
MediumAcrylic paint, mud and glitter on wood panel
Dimensions48 × 48 inches (121.9 × 121.9 cm)
Credit LineGift of Micki Beth Stiller.
Object number2021.10
Copyright© Estate of Jimmy Lee Sudduth.
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 TextJimmy Lee Sudduth’s childhood near Fayette in western Alabama was critical to his artistic development. He was inspired by his immediate surroundings, making paint by mixing materials such as mud, sand, pigments extracted from foodstuffs, house paint, syrup, or sugar and affixing them to found objects, typically wood sourced from a local factory.
Cityscape on Black belongs to a series of works from Sudduth’s memory after traveling to New York City. Using Alabama mud, glitter, and bursts of colors applied with his finger to delineate the silhouettes of individuals and the skyscrapers’ windows, the artist recreates the nighttime atmosphere of a bustling metropolis.
