Home Exhibition Virtual TourFaith Ringgold, "Martin Luther King, Jr. Letter from Birmingham City Jail"

Faith Ringgold, "Martin Luther King, Jr. Letter from Birmingham City Jail"

Transcript of this podcast:

Martin Luther King, Jr. 's Letter from Birmingham City Jail is placed under a plexi case at the center of the gallery, is a series of original prints by Faith Ringgold, accompanying the text from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, “Letters from Birmingham City Jail." The eight color serigraphs illustrations created by the artist are printed on wove thick paper. This is number 7 of the limited edition of 420 copies signed by the illustrator.

Each illustration references the letters written by Dr. King while incarcerated in Alabama in 1963 after his arrest with 50 other demonstrators for non violent resistance. King addresses the letters to 8 white clergymen, defending nonviolent direct action and the necessity of civil disobedience in confronting injustice. The book is displayed without its original red clamshell box, but the original presentation includes a sturdy linen and leather box, facilitating the transport of the piece.

The book opens on the print (on the left) illustrating one of the letters and titled For Whites Only ("Funtown is closed to colored children"). The stories of the illustration appear as such: two black children are facing an amusement park scene; roller coasters in the background, carousel and other rides. The place is full, populated exclusively by white people, locked gates are standing in between this “Funtown” the name of the park, the two kids turn their back at the audience. Signs at the gates read: « Whites only » on the right and « Funtown is closed to colored children » on the left. The flags flying over what seems to be a wholesome “American” scene. The style of Ringgold appears clearly- bold lines, simple color blocks and strong shadows. Each print contains 13 bright colors on average, a small count for a serigraph. This piece is a collaboration with Curlee Holton, the Driskell Center Director and the Artist, and was printed by the Experimental Print Institute or the famous EPI.

Here, the artist simply depicts racial discrimination, brought up in the adjacent letter by Dr. King. In the work, the viewer is hosted in the same place as one of the excluded children: facing the fence, being left out, without recourse.