Untitled (Children on Swing Set, Harlem, NY)

Inscriptions

none

Label

This picture of a group of children playing on a swing set in a public play area, a little girl in the background nursing an injury likely caused by falling off her swing, is a quintessential image of childhood but not a common representation of Black children in a city setting. Often, images of Black children playing are set in rural environments or urban locations that appear unclean and unsafe, placing an ominous veil over the lives of Black children in the city. This building and fenced playground, on the other hand, are clean and built for the purpose. For these children, swings simply mean testing the limits of youthful freedom and having fun.

From the 2024 exhibition And I'm Feeling Good: Relaxation and Resistance, curated by Alisa Swindell, Associate Curator of Photography

Exhibition History

And I'm Feeling Good: Relaxation and Resistance, Ivan Albright Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, January 20-April 13, 2024.

Provenance

Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles, California; sold to present collection, 2023.

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