Herbert Singleton was born in the New Orleans neighborhood of Algiers. His art drew heavily on life in a corrosive inner-city neighborhood and addressed, comprehensively, both themes of racial injustice and the rich African-American cultural traditions of his region. Singleton started carving in the 1970s, making canes and relief carvings on old doors, cabinets, and driftwood. “When the river was low, I would find a plank of wood to carve.” Singleton said in 1990. “I would look at it and wonder if someone’s house and life fell apart.”
- Title
-
The Way We Was
- Artist
- Date
- 1990
- Location
- Dimensions
- 97 x 38 1⁄2 x 2 1⁄2 in. (246.4 x 97.8 x 6.4 cm.)
- Credit Line
-
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- carved and painted wood, metal locks and hinges
- Classifications
- Keywords
-
- Figure group
- Object Number
-
1997.124.88
- Palette
- Linked Open Data
- Linked Open Data URI
