If anyone’s ever studied the history of sculpture, chances are you’ve seen the works of Elizabeth Catlett. Her name was passed over in a project meeting and my memory immediately flashed the “Mother & Child”. Catlett is best known for her politically charged expressionistic sculptures and prints. But to me, her large sculptures serve as metaphors for the struggles and stories that she has experienced throughout her lifetime.
I spent some time digging deeper into her life and her works. From dressmaking, painting, printmaking and sculpture, Catlett has spent a lifetime embracing every medium with such strength of inner voice that it’s hard not to be humbled by her work and her convictions. She is truly one the foremost African American woman artists of her generation.
Launch had the honor of creating a small sitelet to support her show at The Chrysler Museum. At age 95, the videos in her chronology show her gray hair and a sometimes fading voice, but she’s still just as dedicated to her life’s work – her family and her art.
View the site:
www.elizabethcatlett.net
Visit her work at the Chrysler Museum of Art:
www.chrysler.org
“I am black, a woman, a sculptor, and a printmaker. I am also married, the mother of three sons, and the grandmother of seven little girls and a boy. I was born in the United States and have lived in Mexico since 1946. I believe that all these states of being have influenced my work and made it what you see today. I am inspired by black people and Mexican people, my two peoples. My art speaks for both my peoples.” - Elizabeth Catlett
