Museum Visit

“Two Worlds”, 23 x 17 1/2 inches, was linoleum cut by Margaret Burroughs in 1996.

That is one of the most distinguished African-American artists created by Dr. Margaret Burroughs. This artist shows us a person who raises his hands to his neck, with many leaves background in black-white. The person is compared clearly with a line, which put him to two opposite colors cross, black and white. His left face, right neck and left shoulder are white, and his right face, left neck and right shoulder are black. Two completely different colors are put into one person. It is surly not a realistic artist, Margaret created this artist with her own emotions. The Black Pride movement of the 1960s had generated a new interest amongst the African-American community for the reappraisal of African-American history and their roots, and Burroughs found linoleum cuts to be the perfect media in which to communicate and disseminate positive images of African-Americans, their history, and culture. So, she used linoleum cuts to create the “Two World”. Although the name of this artist is “Two Worlds”, she doesn't want the different color of the skins make the people to the different areas. Differences are shown in the same picture, the same person, the same environment, “Everyone are created equal” can be shown though this artist. I have learned about a painting “John Brown Going To His Hanging” by Horace Pippin. It shows a person named John Brown, whose activities to try to free the slaves caused him to be arrested and put on trial in the state of Virginia. All the people are showed in black, but the wagon, which took them were white. I think it is as same as the “Two Worlds”, surely symbolic of the black-white drama. In my opinion, both of the artist are showed the wish about everyone can live in the same world, without fighting, discrimination, and unequal.