1995
Lorna Simpson American, born 1960
United States
Two diagonally paired bodies in the foreground of each scene are counterbalanced by a tree in the background. The left image, depicting two white women in a lush, idyllic setting, is paired with a militaristic scene in which white men in uniforms execute two black men before a crowd of onlookers. Simpson typically conjoins text and image in her work; however, the absence of text in this piece-perhaps signifying an unfinished work-forces the viewer to establish formal and narrative relationships. The juxtaposition of these images speaks to the manner in which gender, race, sexuality, and authority have been historically constructed, represented, and exercised.
Color waterless lithograph in black, yellow, red, and violet on felt