Confrontation at the Bridge -Jacob Lawrence

At the Savannah College of Art and Design Museum of Art is one of Jacob Lawrence’s limited edition Confrontation at the Bridge silkscreen prints. The print was completed in 1975 but depicts the 1963 March from Selma, Alabama.

The group of civil rights activists tries to cross a bridge in Selma on their way to Montgomery. My first reaction to the piece was one of panic and shock. Even before I knew what was being documented, I felt the horror of the painting thanks mostly to the color palette. The use of primary hues of such intensity right next to each other is really unsettling. The glowing white eyes placed flatly on the sides of the dark faces, as well as the horrible grimaces work together to create a very intense painting. The figures look very distressed as they contort at hard angles. A similar harshness is present in the water with colored reflections that zigzag and suggest a sky of yellow lightning and black, looming clouds.

The whole painting is reflective of the artist’s statement; “As long as we have the capacity to struggle against the odds . . . it’s a very good sign that we are progressing as human beings” (Lawrence, The Glory of Expression) The marching protestors are faced with many obstacles like the dog at the other side of the bridge. The dog may be a police attack dog or possibly a wolf-like monster symbolizing the many obstacles ahead. Lawrence forces diagonal eye movement with the lines of the bridge. This element of the print also affects the balance of the composition and heightens the sense of danger. All of the people stand on one side of the bridge, inching backward, making the right side of the composition and the bridge feel heavy. This aspect also shows that these people are fighting a very difficult, uphill battle. At this “moment before the peak of the conflict”, (Jacob Lawrence, The Glory of Expression, 1998) the singular canine seems stronger than the whole group of marchers because of the imbalance.

In this particular painting, Lawrence shows the activists with real emotions rather than making them overly brave and confident to face their challenges. If the viewer knows what event is being depicted, they know that the marchers were indeed brave and eventually were stronger than racism. However, in this moment in time, they show raw fear as they clench their teeth, inch backward, and firmly grip the railings. Lawrence stated in the biographical film, The Glory of Expression, “I exaggerate the hand or foot [because it is] so important in terms of design”. The disfigured fingers, enlarged hands, and harsh angles help to convey the sense of panic and desperation in the figures. However, the most heart-wrenching tactic used in the piece is the artist’s decision to have one set of eyes in the crowd meet ours’. The majority of the crowd is unaware of our observation but this one man looks to us with sadness and seems to wonder why we would let this happen.


Bibliography

Brown, Milton W. Jacob Lawrence. Whitney Museum of American Art. New York:
S.D. Scott Printing Company, 1974

Jacob Lawrence- The Glory of Expression, VHS. L&S Video Inc., 1998

Lawrence, Jacob. Confrontation at the Bridge. Savannah College of Art and Design
Museum of Art. Savannah, GA: May 11, 2009

Oglethorpe

Savannah, Georgia is home to a lot of history and significant artwork. Combining the two is a bronze statue of General James Edward Oglethorpe in Chippewa Square. The statue was created by the teamwork of sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon. It commemorates Savannah’s hero and founder from 1733.

Sculptor Daniel French had some serious decision making to do as he set out to represent this hero of the past. First he chose his material, bronze. Bronze lends itself to more implied movement with less support. He chose to show the powerful military side of Oglethorpe. Dressed in the common military dress of his time, Oglethorpe conveys a similar confidence to that seen in ancient Greek statues. His eyes are heavy and serious, showing no emotion.

Ancient statues of Greece inspired portions of the creation of this statue such as the slight weight shift pose and the freestanding aspect. Unlike the Greek’s statues, however, this portrait is a likeness. The artist researched several drawings and then represented Oglethorpe in a three-dimensional form. Unlike the Greeks, the sculpture is also far from idealized. Oglethorpe is portrayed with a rounded, middle-aged body type that was much like his real body. Further more, the artist did not choose to represent him at what Greeks considered the prime of life (15-25). Instead he is probably represented at the prime of his life’s achievements.

He is represented as a very powerful man who is larger than life, with emphasis on his sword. The line the sword creates leads the eye toward his right boot, which is pressed firmly on the ground. This gesture alone shows his confidence and his feelings of ownership of Savannah, the city he founded and planned. The stepping forward also indicates his goal to keep moving forward with his plans and power. He looks, with a stern face to the south, anticipating the Spanish threat from Florida. The sculpture was erected in 1910, but had it been built in the time of Oglethorpe, it would definitely be a powerful piece of propaganda to boast to Savannahians his power and to induce fear from any visiting outsiders.

The architect made smart design decisions in his part of the building: the stand. He made it fairly simple and of stone as to not take away from the main showcase. The stone contrasts and compliments the bronze material well and offers variety in the piece. The Sculptor had a lot to think about with his part of the design but was also successful. He chose to have Oglethorpe’s overall gesture in a near X shape. It is also balanced asymmetrically. The visually heavy left straight leg and folded left arm help to balance the right leg and sword that stray from the bulk of the statue.

While they no longer symbolize wealth or power, the fabric folds in this statue are notable and like the Greeks’. The artists of ancient Greece realized that representing many folds in the clothing of their statues made them look more naturalistic and could also help convey movement. In Daniel French’s statue, having several folds was unimportant. The attire is military and is meant to look pressed and clean. He only uses the folds he must use to show a bending arm and leather boots.

The texture is smooth in most parts and the artist used striations in the hair for its texture. The statue was never painted, the color was meant to be bronze. As the light changes, the value contrasts created by the three-dimensional form on the statue will change but will look dramatic at all times of the day. The sword that is relaxed but ready for action activates negative space on the statue. It also helps to lead the eyes down and around the piece.

Daniel French and Henry Bacon created a beautiful monument and commemoration to Savannah’s founder. They successfully designed a statue that utilizes the best qualities of ancient Greek statue making but also managed to make something more unique to the time period of General James Edward Oglethorpe.

An Ugly Start

I glared at the hideous Virgin of Vladimir painting on the front of my art history textbook and remembered why I was dreading my survey one class. What could I possibly learn from artists that all represented the Virgin and Child the same way? Where was the originality? Where was the three-dimensional form? And more importantly, what was wrong with baby Jesus’ head?

It took an entire quarter of Art History at SCAD for me to realize (and admit) how much I enjoyed the class. I biked back to the dorm each day after class inspired by paintings and sculptures that before, I would not have given a second glance. Learning why the Egyptian Ka statues were created, where oil painting originated, and how neanderthals were able to sculpt so beautifully the two bison found in Le Tuc d’Audoubert, has given me so much insight into the evolution of art. Learning about art’s past makes my art, and all modern art, so much more valid and intriguing.

-Little Miss Analysis