Romare Bearden, born Charlotte, NC 1911-died New York City 1988 Search this
Medium:
collage on paperboard
Dimensions:
23 3/4 x 19 7/8 in. (60.3 x 50.5 cm)
Type:
Collage
Date:
1969
Exhibition Label:
In genre scenes, landscapes, and jazz and blues images of the 1960s, Bearden transformed contemporary and recollected moments, people, and places into archetypes that transcend generation and culture. Village Square, which is populated by a woman with a shopping basket, a child holding a treasured object, and a street musician, is both nowhere and everywhere. The face of the musician is simultaneously real and mask-like, reinforcing the understanding that he is a contemporary figure whose cultural roots lie in Africa.
Modern Masters: Midcentury Abstraction from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2008