Kerry James Marshall's 1999-2000 piece "RHYTHMMASTR" uses a West African superhero to highlight cultural and situational irony in late 1990s America. The false hero represents how police departments are supposed to protect but instead destroy communities through police brutality and killing youth. In Kara Walker's 2000 piece "Mistress Demanded a Swift and Dramatic Empathetic Reaction Which We Obliged Her," the artist establishes a "female heroine" effect by depicting subjects overcoming tyranny through personal awakening and confronting reality. Walton Ford's 2000 piece "ACabin BoytoBarbary" magnifies history using nature, employing the same techniques as early natural history artists

1. ABSTRACTOF CREATIVITY
By: Eric Green

2. "RHYTHMMASTR,"preparatorydrawing,1999-2000
Photocopyofinkdrawing,anddesignmarkeronpaper,17x11inches
CourtesytheArtist
Theintent ofKerry
James Marshall in this
piece was to bring out
the cultural and
situational irony in
America during the late
1990’s using the West
African super hero

3. The Epidemic
“Theepidemic”Isjust an
articulationof whatthe police
departmentsis supposeprotect,but
insteaddestroybyserving brutality
killing theyouth.This relatesto the
falseheroin "RHYTHMMASTR"

4. "MistressDemandedaSwiftandDramaticEmpatheticReactionWhichWe
ObligedHer,"2000
Projection,KaraWalker Projection, cutpaperandadhesive onwall,12x17feet
CollectionofWhitney Museum ofAmerican Art,New York
CourtesySikkema Jenkins &Co.,New York
this artist decidesto
establish the“female
heroine”effectby
overcomingtherealityof
thesubjectstyranny while
alsohavingapersonal
awakening.

5. Manin the Mirror
Themeaning ofthispictureisto
illustratewhathappenswhenthe
subjectseeshimself forwhathe
reallyis asopposedto whathe
thoughthe was.Thiscorrelateswith
"MistressDemandedaSwiftand
DramaticEmpatheticReaction
WhichWeObligedHer’bythe self
awakening

6. "ACabin BoytoBarbary,"2000 61x120inches
Privatecollection, Brazil
Courtesy PaulKasminGallery,NewYork
WaltonFord
In this piece, Walton Ford simply magnifies history using nature; he used the same
calligraphy, and techniques as the early natural history artists did and magnified it
on canvas ,rather than sketchbooks as the early natural history artist

7. StrengthofSampson
In the “strengthof Sampson”this
depicts thenotionofmanruler of
every foulof thelandincluding
nature.Unlike thelion defeating
manin "ACabinBoytoBarbary,"
the man(Sampson)prevails.