Imar Hutchins – Title: ‘What to the American Slave is your Fourth of July?’ [Frederick Douglass]

Description

Title: “What to the American Slave is your Fourth of July?” [Frederick Douglass] Size: 19.5” x 25.5” Medium: Original Artist’s Print, 16-Color Serigraph, printed on BFK Rives 250 gsm. Limited Edition of 100 with 10 A/Ps. Year: 2022. It is an honor to lift up the exalted ancestor Frederick Douglass through art and I’m so happy that my portrait of him has really resonated with the DC and larger DMV community! His “Big Brother” (the 2018 large-scale collage portrait on which he’s based) is owned by DC Government and is currently installed in the DC Corrections Information Council. I love that choice of location because someone understood that some of Frederick’s light and positivity could certainly be beneficial in that space. Although people may appreciate the design and visuals of the print, it is actually steeped in symbolism. The title is a quote from a famous speech Douglass gave once on the Fourth of July—thus I’ve depicted him as red, white and blue. Another line that always stands out for me in that speech is: “It is not light we need, but fire!” I think that feeling worked its way into the various reds in this piece. This print is not just an homage to Douglass but also (subtly) to John Johnson, the founder of Ebony Magazine. The inspiration for this project was a special issue of Ebony, September 1963, which marked the Centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation. I always loved this cover. Normally the Ebony logo is white letters in a red rectangle, which are the exact size, font and colors as the Life Magazine logo. In other words, Ebony was the Black version of Life. But not this time! The Centennial of Emancipation was something sacred. So the red rectangle represents the Ebony logo and Johnson. The shapes inside of it represent the North Star. The literal North Star led Frederick to freedom, but it was also the name of his publication. The North Star, the publication, was in turn the progenitor of the Black Press, of which Ebony is a key descendant. So it’s a loop! NOTE: This print is offered from a sold-out edition. I always retain a few prints for my personal collection. The print I will be offering for installation in the exhibition is a framed print from my personal collection, Edition number 1. This particular print is NOT for sale… If someone purchases the print from the exhibition there should be a note that they will get a different Edition Number (I only have a few left). And it should be noted that it can be purchased unframed for $2000, or framed with UV glass for $2500. If purchased, I will then deliver the print (and get it framed in the same exact way as the installed print, if framing is requested).