Archibald Motley created a new vision of what it was to discover African American history in an impressionistic idea of culture cascaded with colors unseen.
Motley’s exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center highlights the essence of Chicago’s importance to the art scene. Creating a bastion of artistic expression housed in the cultural identity of the DuSable Museum created by founder Margaret Burroughs and her husband are regal images of the African American expression and experience.
Motley takes the nude approach to showcasing realism in the steel set. Motley’s artistic interpretation of life can be seen in each of the portraits. Whether he is placing the very high-class and sophisticated jewels around his wife’s neck, it is here that we let the communities outside the Black community know that there is a master at work painting in a realistic setting in a realistic way. This is the bourgeoisie, this is the accomplished, this is the royalty, the aristocracy — to some degree — of that era. This is the Chicago elite, the bringing together of freedom.
Pushing forward into the identity of being exposed whether it’s two prostitutes gambling or even the quintessential idea of beauty being seen in new. There are moments when we are invited to understand that there are things happening that need a lens and Motley’s brush to us to see the appropriate expressions of lifestyle captured and are captivating.
It is always the lower that is captured we are like the fish we reach for the Lord captured in the gambling captured in the prostitution captured even in the idea of party. No this is not new to hip-hop do it up throw it up bottle it up as Rihanna says no Motley is bottling it for her in advance. We will never know whether the big lips are to show the exaggerated attitude that we have. Who’s to know? But the color is actually beautiful the embracing the idea of our skin color might be the testament that Motley is hoping to convey. How can Black lives matter if we don’t look at the skin look at the skin color that we have. How can black lives matter if the culture that we have is not elevated appreciated and displayed on our social media. Black lives matter is and so does the history of the black lives of created identity and images that are part of a protest resounding expression of we are great.
Black lives matter needs to resurrect the identity of our community celebrate the history of those who in their grace of strokes on canvas protested through the freedom that must be allowed, the value of who we are without reinterpretation and without having integration.
Motley showcased that Black lives matter. Black lives matter is more each day if we revere and resurrect the values offered by many in our past. Many of the writers and painters were giving us and showcasing identities that we need to resurrect and share. Resurrect more than the protest of the current. Resurrect the entire communities cultural expression to celebrate ourselves. Celebrate the identity of Black lives matter is because we are beyond the protest we are beyond the celebration of party we are a entire concept economy that is pushing ourselves and the world to understand that we matter.
Black lives matter and Archibald Motley is part of your compensation from those who came before us. It is no longer important for us just to look and give Black lives matter is today’s tag we must have ourselves with the history and the fortitude that is afforded us by those like Motley might be cool. He gave us freedom beyond our imagination by giving us the imagine aided and the impressive stature and status we have held in this country. Enjoy these images he provided for us.
A glimpse of ourselves that is current even in this day as we see those reality stars depicted in a very exaggerated way some of the images of Motley can be interpreted as exaggerated or as even being amused for others who might be looking at them. But the opportunities that can be found in each reality says that all lives matter and this art matters and this man, Archibald Motley, mattered and gave us something to be proud of — being committed to uplifting this country by being ourselves without explanation and without apology. Archibald Motley is unapologetically Black and it matters, so we all must look to a new and additional set of nuances in our culture to showcase the Black lives matter.