Freedom

Judith Bernstein, Freedom, 1995, charcoal on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 2022.30A,B, Courtesy the artist and Kasmin, New York
Copied Judith Bernstein, Freedom, 1995, charcoal on paper, 47 1⁄2 × 63 1⁄2 in. (120.7 × 161.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 2022.30A,B, Courtesy the artist and Kasmin, New York

Artwork Details

Title
Freedom
Artist
Date
1995
Location
Dimensions
47 1⁄2 × 63 1⁄2 in. (120.7 × 161.3 cm)
Copyright
Courtesy the artist and Kasmin, New York
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
charcoal on paper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Allegory — civic — liberty
  • Abstract
Object Number
2022.30A,B
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2022.30A,B

Artwork Description

Freedom is from a series of word drawings Judith Bernstein created in the 1990s focusing on both the highest aspirations ("Justice," "Equality") and harsh realities ("Fear," "Evil") of American life. In densely applied charcoal, the "F" of "Freedom" dominates the left side, like a flag flying proudly from a pole. The rest of the word appears in looping cursive, punctuated at upper right by a handprint. With her forceful, kinetic mark-making, Bernstein seems to affirm both the political freedoms Americans hold dear and the personal freedoms she has asserted throughout her life--to be an artist, to have a political voice, and to make the work she wants to make.