Claudette Johnson
2021
Pastel and gouache on paper
152.8 x 122 cm
Since 2015, Black men have become a subject of Claudette Johnson’s work. In this work, the careful positioning of the figure creates an atmosphere of anticipation but also vulnerability; leaning forward and looking to the side, the man seems impatient and about to move. Johnson recalled that the yellow background was inspired by a shaft of sunlight that fell across the drawing in her studio. However, far from capturing a precise moment, the abstract backdrop removes the figure from a specific time and place and encourages the viewer to think about Black masculinity.