I Am A Man A Man I Am Painting

I Am A Man A Man I Am This artwork has exhibited in two museums in juried exhibitions and is one of the personal favorites of the artist. The artwork was not planned but created intuitively as she listened to the conversation in her mind as she created. Inspired by the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike in 1968, the artist, Lisa Whittington created another symbolic performance collage after staring at photos and wondering why on God’s green earth should any human, have to bear a bold sign with big black and white letters to remind another human being that they are human too? Lisa digs into the narrative further in exploring the anger, humiliation, as well as the pride of having to do so and how the Black man has to collect himself personally as well as collectively as a group to fight and protest for dignity, respect and identity. The artwork is a narrative in 3 parts. The first part are the signs themselves. The viewer has to pay attention to see that all of the signs don’t read the same. One of the signs reads “I am Human” and another reads “I am not a Bad Man.” When some cultures see Black men, they immediately associate Black men with being bad. Another sign reads A Man I Am rhythmically and poetically against the others to signify that either way you put it, A Black man is still a man. One of the men is holding a sign with a little comical relief on it reading “I Am the Man.” Comical relief is a technique used in society to take the edge off of a serious situation. Digging into the second part of the painting, the group of men holding the picket signs dressed in hats,suits and shirts and sweaters depict an array of colors of Black men, each with their own stories of trying to live as a respected human. Ironically, the man holding the comical relief sign “I Am the Man” looks sullen even though he wears an African mask. His identity means nothing to the people he must hold the sign for. The man standing in front seems to be the leader, and is holding the sign in two hands representing stability in leadership. Of all the men, he is the most whole. Most of the other men are pieced back together, missing eyes, and mouths-- key features in recognizing identity. Some of the Black men can’t speak because they are dead. The man, far left with the yellow sweater and the man sitting on is about to blow up or give in but the man sitting on his shoulder is not only his legacy, but his personal conscience and a spirit which keeps him grounded. He must always listen to that conscience. The third part that completes the narrative are the photos of Black men collaged throughout the picture. These serve as the legacy, ancestral wisdom, and encouragement to these men whispering for them to keep going and stand tall with dignity and pride. This artwork exhibited at the Reece Museum in Tennessee in 2016 at the height of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Curators discussed with the artist an incident that happened on the campus of Eastern Tennessee during a Black Lives Matter protest. They said during the protest, a white barefoot man wearing overalls and a gorilla mask, came over to the protest trying to hand out noose-wrapped bananas to Black Lives Matter demonstrators. They discussed how important the artwork was in the community and that the incident made people come into the museum and study and discuss this painting created by Lisa Whittington. This artwork is a true investment and waits for the right investor and collector to continue positioning this artwork in key places.