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| (left) After
Black (To See or Not to See), 1997. Acrylic latex, stain and copper
penny on paper; 60 x 36 inches. (right) Before Black (To See or
Not to See), 1997. Acrylic latex, stain and copper penny on paper;
60 x 37 1/2 inches. |
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“After Black (To See or Not to See)” &
“Before Black (To See or Not to See)”
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One in a series of paired, before-and-after paintings, "After
Black (To See or Not to See)" and "Before Black (To See
or Not to See)" are near-mirror images. In "After Black",
a smiling, blinfolded
figure dribbles a basketball - unaware of the tree he is about
to smash into. In "Before Black", this same figure is
depicted without a blindfold - only this time, he seems to be running
in fear and is again, unaware of the tree that blocks his path.
Both scenarios result in identical disasters, despite their
obvious differences and the scenes which are, literally, night and
day. While the path in "After Black" is well lit, it is
of no difference to the figure who is blinded by a cloth decorated
with money signs. Sporting hightop
sneakers and contemporary clothing, the man’s apparel is
in contrast to his caricaturized red lips, bulging eyes, and stylized
hair. Like a Sambo in today’s clothes, Charles’ figure
is a combination of past and present depictions of African Americans.
In this series of paintings, “Black” is positioned like
a product with each image illustrating what happens when one has
black and when doesn’t. In the diptych Charles’ figure
runs scared in the night “Before Black” while in “After
Black,” he is no longer scared, but only because he can no
longer see. The title of the work subtly alludes to a monologue
in Shakespeare’s "Hamlet," where the title character
asks whether it is better “to be or not to be - that is the
question.”
The inspiration for Charles’ before-and-after paintings came from a suite of lithographs produced in the 19th century by Currier and Ives. Famous for depicting scenes of American life, Currier and Ives first achieved recognition for their portrayal of “disasters in progress” such as the fire aboard the Steamboat Lexington, made in 1840. In addition to popular disaster scenes of the day, the printshop was also, as its slogan boasts, a publisher of “Cheap and Popular Pictures” which included categories such as Sports, Hunting Scenes, Trains, Historical Portraits, and Religious Themes. Another category was Darktown, in which the many racist stereotypes of the day were depicted in humorous situations. Charles’ before-and-after paintings borrow some of their antique look from these images while modernizing the sentiment with which we as viewers come to view these stereotypes of black people. |
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