MUSINGS
© Ernesto Beckford, Chadds Ford PA (2021-2024)
Eighteenth Century Remnants
During the 17th and 18th centuries, Africans were forcibly taken to the American colonies, where they endured slavery on sugar, tobacco, and cotton plantations. This cruelty generated immense wealth for their oppressors, which is evident in the grand Palladian-style mansions that remain today. In my artwork, I depict a deteriorating mansion, marked by the presence of a ghostly slave, whose blood and labor built the structure. Unlike the mansion's decay, the slave is vivid, vibrant, and alluring, conveying a poignant message. Handmade collage combining images from old books, paper fragments, watercolors, and soft pastels.
Collage size: 12.5” x 11.75”
Completed 2023
Red Hood
Portrait of a woman with a red headscarf, against a background of flowers. Handmade collage using paper, glue, watercolor and pastels.
Collage Size: 10 x 13 inches
Completed 2023
Exotic
An alluring beauty with flowers in her hair looks at us with a furlong glance. Handmade collage using oil pastels, watercolor, bits and pieces of paper, and old magazines that smell of smoke and coffee. The collage was inspired by the artistic style of Gaugin. It captures the essence of a bygone era while transporting us to a realm of exoticism and mystery. Handmade collage using paper, glue, watercolor and pastels.
Collage Size: 9.5 x 12 inches
Completed 2023