Sherman Beck USA, b. 1942
Untitled, 2022
Acrylic on canvas
26 x 38 in
66 x 96.5 cm
66 x 96.5 cm
8511
Further images
This painting of four faces afloat amidst a geometric abstract background belongs to Sherman Beck's series of Mask paintings, which is also called his Ancestor series. The series examines the...
This painting of four faces afloat amidst a geometric abstract background belongs to Sherman Beck's series of Mask paintings, which is also called his Ancestor series. The series examines the relationships between traditional African masks that conceal the identity of the wearer, and the masks people put on their faces everyday with their own physical expressions. In this composition there are no traditional masks, the four faces are all human. In many of his Mask paintings, Beck identifies the national or tribal origin of the masks and faces. The faces in this painting could be from anywhere, inviting the viewer to contemplate the global reach of the contemporary African diaspora.