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Mark Bradford, Amendment #8, 2014, mixed media, 48 1⁄4 × 68 1⁄8 in. (122.6 × 173.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Lohrfink Foundation and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2015.34, © 2014, Mark Bradford
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Amendment #8
- Artist
- Date
- 2014
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 48 1⁄4 × 68 1⁄8 in. (122.6 × 173.0 cm)
- Copyright
- © 2014, Mark Bradford
- Credit Line
- Gift of the Lohrfink Foundation and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
- Mediums Description
- mixed media
- Classifications
- Highlights
- Keywords
- Abstract
- Object Number
- 2015.34
Artwork Description
Amendment #8 comes from a series inspired by the first ten amendments to the US Constitution. Collectively known as the Bill of Rights, these amendments lay out the fundamental rights that protect Americans from abuses of government power. The Eighth Amendment states that "excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted." Portions of this text are visible, albeit barely legible, in shallow relief on the surface of Bradford's painting. The obscured text suggests how laws can be manipulated to inhibit, rather than uphold, the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.