A True Portrait

Archibald Motley once said, "It is my earnest desire and ambition to express the American Negro honestly and sincerely, neither to add nor detract, and to bring about a more sincere and brotherly understanding, between me and my white brethren." Saying this, Motley believed that his paintings could influence white viewers to better understand his black heritage. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s encouraged many African Americans to develop an artistic interest, which later would gain support that long, had been ignored and discouraged due to prejudice. Not only did Motley want to paint the truth surrounding the stereotypes perceived by society, but also he wanted to honestly portray the “negro,” hoping, that whites and blacks would interact more positively than they had before.

As a way to clear the misconceptions that labeled Africans for years, Motley used formal devices in order to represent the dignity and the lives of the African American women and men. One of Motleys works, “Mending Socks,” uses everyday household objects to stress the important morals embedded in his grandmother’s life. Her age, home and the objects observed tells her history, life and the values that she as well as the Creole people value. Motley’s Creole grandmother Emily exemplifies many lives as Motley’s character placement and object complements the overall effect. While Motley intended his works as a way to illuminate the misconceptions regarding African Americans, Dennis Raverty claims otherwise. Despite Motley’s ability to use his techniques as to beautify his work, Raverty feels that meanings and themes are not as effective because of Motley lack of cultural connection.

Seeing the painting for the first time, one sees the main attraction of the work, Emily Motley. Her old age and life experiences clearly show her hardships and tribulations. Baggy lines and the gloomy, yet prideful expression on her face also tells how hard it must have been to live during her time. In addition, a picture of a white woman hangs on the wall over the table. This woman, the grandmother’s mistress, freed Emily Motley giving her the portrait with her emancipation. On the table, a bowl of what appears to be plastic fruit gives the impression that the old woman has inherited some type of wealth. The plastic fruit makes it seem like the woman lives comfortably and does not have to worry about real fruit spoiling. Two worn book on the table, one being a bible, relates to Emily Motley's ability to have an education.

According to an article from the Wilson library, Emily, unlike many other people, had the opportunity to learn. Being taught to read and write with her mistress's children meant a rare privilege for a slave girl. Underneath all of the table objects lies the blue and white tablecloth. Embedded onto the cloth there was a delicately designed American Indian table spread representing her Native American husband.

If one looks closely, one can see a dark medium drawn down the center of Motley’s painting. The dark line down the middle of the wall seems to separate the grandmother’s spiritual part of her life from her everyday chores and habits. Above her head, a crucifix hangs representing her strong religious beliefs, which may have played an important role during her enslavement giving her hope for her freedom. Cloaked in an orange-checkered brooch, Emily appears to have a portrait of a young woman inside of a tiny pin, which happens to be her only daughter. Several mounds of socks on the table with the scissors lying on top of them symbolize Emily Motley's motherly duties and obligations. The plethora of socks on the table seems to say that she does this a lot in order to provide for her family. These icons show the sacred and ritual events important in her life.

While according to Burton Emmett Collection , Motley wanted to get in touch with his people and create a greater understanding, Dennis Raverty argues that Motley does not do a good job connecting with his culture. Instead of including himself when he speaks of African Americans, Raverty claims that Motley detaches himself from his own culture by referring to African Americans not as "us" but "them.” Motley adds: I was trying to get their [black people's] interest in art.” While his intentions of studying their ways were through attendance of daily activities and rituals, Motley failed to include himself and realize his own background. Because he was light, and well educated, he was considered and outsider and not part of his own community; therefore, one may argue that his portrayal of his grandmother was inaccurate. Trying to fit in two worlds, Raverty acclaims that Motley’s artistic expression was driven by his search for his own identity.

As opposed to the realistic image portrayed by Motley the mammy character was created on little truth and larger lies. In the mammy character created by white society during the Jim Crow laws to say that blacks were happy as slaves when it was quite the opposite. The mammy image served the political, social, and economic interests of mainstream white America. Her wide grin as opposed to the melancholic structure of Emily’s joins with laughter, and servitude to support institution of slavery. She had no black friends; the white family was her entire world. Obviously, the mammy caricature was “more myth than accurate portrayal.” Unlike the evident fallacy of mammy, Motley delineates more of a realistic image of someone who experienced slavery.

As proclaimed by Raverty, Motley’s art was only a struggle to come to terms with his "race”. Whether Motley was able to make sense of his heritage or not is a question unknown; however, his works nevertheless seem to show that he either does a good job using his imagination of the Creole people, or Motley actually has a Creole experience to tell about. Either way, his paintings tend to reveal a truth, giving enlightenment to a confused society unaware of the reality of African Americans.

Works Cited:

http://www.ackland.org/art/collection/contemporary/58.1.2801.html

http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results/results_fulltext_maincontentframe.jhtml;jsessionid=5RJWMTKB1CQILQA3DIMSFF4ADUNGMIV0

http://www.ackland.org/tours/classes/motley.html
http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/mammies/homepage.htm

Cultural Reconciliation Through Art

At first glance, an old woman knitting socks in a rocking chair is anything but extraordinary. This is the scene I came across in my visit to the Ackland Art Museum. Unlike much of the 20^th century art on display, this painting caught my eye as more than just paint splashed on a canvas. I recognize the talent that all artists possess; however, I am extremely picky about art I like. I really enjoy renaissance artwork and generally dislike more modern art because it seems to require a much more detailed analysis, which is completely arbitrary. I really appreciated the painting “Mending Socks” by the artist Archibald J. Motley, Jr. This painting exemplifies culture and racism in the early 20^th century. It appears that Motley painted this still life to demonstrate that African American culture and values were more similar to those of whites than many whites would have believed during that time.

The museums web site describes and analyzes, “Mending Socks” which is a portrayal of Motley’s grandmother, Emily Motley. The painting shows Motley performing her daily duty of mending the family’s socks. The painting’s most significant aspects are the crucifix, the books, and the depiction of Emily Motley. Each item is symbolic of Emily Motley’s culture and life. The books are clearly symbolic of her education. Although many African American women of her age, during that time, would have been illiterate, Emily Motley possessed a formal education and could read. Having that basic education, shows that Motley is more equal than people would believe, to the woman in the painting. The website describes the woman in the painting as Motley’s former mistress. Motley, no doubt, kept the painting of her former mistress on display to remind her of her past as a slave. The crucifix, which hangs on the wall, is symbolic of Motley’s deep religious convictions. Her religious beliefs are also confirmed due to the fact that one of the books on the table is the Bible, according to the museum’s website. These items, possibly more than anything else in the painting, demonstrate the similarities, rather than the differences, between whites and blacks. Like most women, regardless of color, in the south Emily Motley was a devout Christian.

Many of the items in the painting are characteristic of a still life. Just about every object in the painting is an example of still life. The bowl of fruit, the lamp, and the books are several examples of inanimate objects represented in this painting. Also, the socks which the title of the painting refers to are examples of still life. Motley uses this still life technique to convey the meaning of the painting. He intended the painting to show African Americans in a true example. If the painting had not contained any of these objects, the viewers would have very little insight as to who Emily Motley was. By painting his grandmother, a religious and educated woman, with her “defining possessions” Motley is promoting a greater understanding between blacks and white, stressing their similarities over their differences.

Motley chose to paint his grandmother because she definitely did not fit into the “Mammy” or “Jezebel” stereotypes that existed for African American women during the time. The “Mammy” stereotype portrayed African American as a loud, obese, jovial, motherly figure who was often “completely desexualized”. This image also portrayed the women as being happy with the institution of slavery; they were said to have “great love for their white family, but often treated [their] own family with disdain.” Looking at the painting, Emily Motley clearly does not fit into this stereotype. She is by no means overweight, and she does not appear happy in the painting. Her facial expression is definitely not one of happiness because she is not smiling; rather, she has a neutral or even an unhappy facial expression. Furthermore, Emily Motley in no way upholds the “Jezebel” stereotype, which interestingly conflicts with the “Mammy” stereotype. The “Jezebel” stereotype portrayed African American women “as innately promiscuous, even predatory”. Although this portrayal of African American women differed very much so from the more gentle and motherly “Mammy” stereotype, it was still an unfortunate reality many black women were forced to deal with during the early 20^th century. It is reasonable to conclude that Emily Motley in no way upholds the “Jezebel” stereotype because of her conservative dress and her religious beliefs. Thus, Emily Motley served a great model for how black women actually were in the 1920s, instead of the racial stereotypes imposed on them by whites.

While I believe that “Mending Socks” was intended to break down racial differences and give white viewers a greater insight into African American culture, others do not believe this is the case. In an art history paper, Holly Spain offers another possible analysis of the painting shows a sharp contrast between the left and the right sides of the painting. On the left side of the painting, the painting of Emily Motley’s former mistress shows the mistress wearing a black dress. The dark color of the dress suggests the evil which surrounded Emily Motley’s past as a slave to the woman in the painting. On the right side of the painting, the door is painted white, a color associated with goodness. This idea of goodness is reinforced with the crucifix hanging on the wall. Perhaps the door and the crucifix are symbolic of a better life for Emily Motley, one where she is free from slavery. Even more interesting is the fact that Motley painted a grey line down the middle of the wall in the painting. This line could be symbolic of the differences between blacks and whites, or, it could represent the segregation between the two that existed during the time. This idea of segregation can be seen in the painting, not only in the grey line, but also in the facial expression of Emily Motley. In the painting Motley chose not to paint his grandmother with a cheerful facial expression; rather, she appears rather sullen and gloomy. One of the most interesting insights Spain offers is the fact that the painting of the mistress is not seen in its entirety. Spain believes that this represents the “slipping away of white control” which will lead to the eventual freedom of African Americans.

According to the gallery’s website, Motley painted “Mending Socks” in order to “express the American Negro honestly and sincerely, neither to add nor detract, and to bring about a more sincere and brotherly understanding, between him and his white brethren.” If this is the case, I cannot imagine that the overall message of the painting is a dark as Spain believes. Rather, if the goal of the painting is to promote understanding, I think that Motley would have wanted to show the similarities between the two cultures, not the differences. Spain seems to conclude that the painting conveys a message of segregation. Although segregation was a very real occurrence during Motley’s time, it does not seem like focusing on this negative would be the best way to promote understanding between blacks and whites during the early 20^th century. Instead of stressing segregation, Motley painted his grandmother with her “defining possessions” to demonstrate, to both white and black viewers, a true example of how African Americans lived. The painting of Emily Motley’s former mistress serves to remind viewers of the reality of Emily Motley’s past as a slave.

Pilgrim, David. "Jezebel Stereotype." Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia.

October 2000. Ferris State University. 17 Apr 2007 http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/jezebel/

Pilgrim, David. "The Mammy Caricature." Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia.

October 2000. Ferris State University. 17 Apr 2007 http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/mammies/.

Spain , Holly. "Blues and Mending Socks: Capturing the Harlem Renaissance." 05

December 1999. 22 Apr 2007 http://www.unc.edu/~hspain/artpaper.htm.