Lynching Blues continued

More drawings from the Lynching Blues series. Although I created these years ago, they have become even more relevant now during these troubling and deeply disturbing times, in the world today.

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1. Lynching Blues #11 displays a slave woman holding a basket of cotton over her head, perhaps preparing to consolidate it with the rest of what has already been gathered, from her labor of the day. This piece was done without my usual ballpoint pen lines, and laid out onto the paper with a brush and India ink only. The bold lines create a more statuesque appearance. I think this technique was very effective in bringing out the bushels of cotton, remaining on the dark stems in the field.

2. Lynching Blues #12 shows the horror and terror of Jim Crow, as the KKK terrorized African American communities. It suggest the painful realities of having to choose between defending the lives of your own family and surrendering to the hate crimes of a dominant culture.

3. Lynching Blues #14 is a piece about how members of the black community had to rely heavily on spiritual and religious guidance, in dealing with the systemic racism of society. The black church in particular was a safe haven for a people being targeted and hunted by racist mobs.

4. Lynching Blues #18 displays the celebratory and glorification of lynching that was often photographed and printed on post cards, to be distributed for enjoyable entertainment and mere amusement among many whites.

5. Lynching Blues #28 expresses the sadness and hopelessness of segregation during the turbulent and unjust times throughout the nation.