Nelson L. Stevens, Homer De Brave, 1970, screenprint on paper, sheet and image: 20 × 26 in. (50.8 × 66 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the American Art Forum, 2021.13
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Homer De Brave
- Artist
- Date
- 1970
- Location
- Dimensions
- sheet and image: 20 × 26 in. (50.8 × 66 cm)
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase made possible by the American Art Forum
- Mediums Description
- screenprint on paper
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Portrait male
- African American
- Object Number
- 2021.13
Artwork Description
Homer de Brave presents the face of an African American man cropped into the shape of the continental United States. Rendered in purple and hot-pink kaleidoscopic forms, the figure stands in for African Americans throughout the country, embodying their claim to importance and call for justice.
New York City--born Nelson Stevens was a professor at Northern Illinois University when he joined AfriCOBRA in 1969. His vibrant style aligned with the core aesthetic principles of the group, which espoused the use of bold "cool-ade" color, symmetrical pattern, and messages of Black power and self-determination.