Cadillac Bag Complete

April 2nd, 2009 at 07:42am mcgillc

 

Having spent all day Saturday searching and downloading images, I went to bed Saturday like Sunday morning was Christmas morning – with a lot of childish anticipation.  I found a few images that struck a cord with me and I couldn’t wait to get started on the bag with these images.

One in particular was a close-up of a black man, a caricature with very stereo-typical features – bug eyes, big red lips and an animated expression that was one of terror and surprise. This particular image touched me  in a way that few have – the way this MAN was being visually ridiculed and that this image was actually “teaching” the viewer and instilling a perception of black men and African-Americans in general.

I selected this expression from the larger image of this man being attached by a flock of angry chickens. The poster from which it is taken is an advertisement for a minstrel show called “Wm.H.Wests Big Minstrel Jubilee” with a caption below the image that reads, “Be Sure Your Sins Will Find You Out.” I’ve used the full image on the bag, too, but the close up of terror on the man’s face is most moving to me.  There were other images but I knew this one in particular was going to be the springboard for the completion of the bag. 

I used him prominently and often and with the support and dialogue with the other found images, the bag came together.  One area of text which appears at the top of the bag reads, “Psalm 46:10 Be Still and Know That I am GOD.” 

Visitors to the museum seemed to gravitate to this bag more than others – seemed to be more interested emotionally in this bag. 

There were several connections made – people made references to things I never would have thought of, recalled some of there own experiences with racism and memorabilia while others simply responded to the beauty of the bag.  It was all a wonderful experience.

John Golden, a writer came in to do a feature on me for the Westchester Business Journal. Apparently the first week of April is the golf edition of the journal (which happens to coincide with the opening rounds of The Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia).  This is the tournament which had become synonymous with The Jim Crow south and exclusion in golf.

Anyway, Tiger Woods won that tournament in his first attempt as a pro in 1997. Black workers, cooks, custodians and grounds crew employed at the golf course said that as long as they lived they never thought they’d see the day that a black man would win that tournament. It was, in some respects, like Jack Johnson becoming the heavyweight champion, like Joe Lewis beating Max Schmeling, like Doug Williams’ Washington Redskins beating John Elways’ Denver Broncos and like Barack Obama becoming president of the United States.  Although it didnt have the same cultural impact it was as significant to the world of golf, with its staunch and unrelenting racist history, as the 44th President victory. I remember that tournament in ’97 and how amazed I was that what I was seeing was something that I never thought I would see. Again, not quite as significant as the election, but very close.

This past Sunday, Tiger won again, the 66th time he has done so in his brief career. And, he did so in amazing fashion, just as he did this same time last year, with a holed birdie putt on the last hole to capture the the title for the 6th time at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  It was exciting, it was more disbelief and I couln’t wait to get home after the museum to see if he could do something magical yet again. The scary thing about Tiger Woods is – he hasnt reached his golf prime yet! Golders usually mature in the mid to late 30′s and early 40′s – he’s 33.

Anyway, he did. It was amazing, incredible and something that we’ve come come to recognize as historical.

And then I wonder, “Can I really spend time blogging on an art site about golf?”

Yes I can.

 

 

Entry Filed under: in the studio