National Gallery of Art acquires its first work by John Outterbridge

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Friday, March 29, 2024


National Gallery of Art acquires its first work by John Outterbridge
John Outterbridge, Plus Tax: Shopping Bag Society, Rag Man Series, 1971. Mixed media overall: 50.8 x 34.3 x 19.1 cm (20 x 13 1/2 x 7 1/2 in.) National Gallery of Art, Washington. Purchased with funds from The Ahmanson Foundation and Howard and Roberta Ahmanson 2020.12.1.



WASHINGTON, DC.- The Gallery has recently acquired Plus Tax: Shopping Bag Society, Rag Man Series (1971), the first work by the African American artist John Outterbridge to enter the collection. It is part of a series of eight sculptures only three of which are known to exist, made from 1970 to 1976 that were inspired by the idea of the ragman tradition and the social fabric of 1970s south-central Los Angeles.




John Outterbridge (b. 1933) grew up during the Depression in the Jim Crow South surrounded by his grandmother's handmade herbal remedies (often sewn into asafetida bags) and a playground of discarded objects from his father's junk business. In 1963 Outterbridge went to Los Angeles, where he began assembling cast-off materials to reveal and honor the cultural histories of his youth. After the 1965 Watts Rebellion, Outterbridge incorporated the considerable detritus left by the riots to make sense of and create a new order from the ruins of south-central Los Angeles.

In Plus Tax: Shopping Bag Society, Outterbridge has sewn found canvas into the form of a shopping bag, on which he has colorfully painted the ground and the words "PLUS TAX" on the left side, "BAG" repeated six times on the right, and "Shopping Bag Society" on the back. To the bag's handles the artist has attached colored paper tags, some from J. W. Robinson's, an upscale Los Angeles department store. Plus Tax: Shopping Bag Society questions the different values placed on such an object in a society with a wide socioeconomic range. Is this work someone's waste, or someone's treasure; who is taxed or burdened by this society, and who has it "in the bag"?










Today's News

August 11, 2020

Desecrated: blast leaves old Beirut's heritage gems in ruins

National Gallery of Art acquires its first work by John Outterbridge

Oldest moving images of Europe: World premiere at Eye Filmmuseum

Eli Wilner & Company is offering the world's most expensive period frame

The Barnes Foundation reopens with 'Marie Cuttoli: The Modern Thread from Miró to Man Ray'

Billie Eilish's ukulele, Elton John's tracksuit & more headline MusiCares Julien's Auctions Charity Auction

'Stanley Kubrick,' a brisk new biography of a major talent

AIDS quilts for an artist and his partner, sewn during a new pandemic

She explains 'mansplaining' with help from 17th-century art

An exhibition tells the story of a drug war leader, but not all of it

The George Eastman Museum commemorates the 19th Amendment ratification centennial

Victoria Miro opens an exhibition of works by Alex Hartley

Vivant Books publishes a stunning exploration of the work and legacy of American sculptor Paul Villinski

Novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga: Zimbabwe's 'conscientious citizen'

The life and work of Géza Gorka presented in an exhibition in Budapest

Modern Films to release 'Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint' in the UK & Ireland this October

Morphy Auctions presents formidable lineup of Edged Weapons, Armor & Militaria, Aug. 18-19

Seattle Art Museum names Priya Frank Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Philadelphia Museum of Art plans to reopen on September 6, 2020, Rodin Museum also to reopen

Lifetime collection of American Brilliant Cut Glass to be offered at auction

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum names new Board President

Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg exhibits works by Susanne Kriemann

Wayne Fontana, hitmaker with 'The Game of Love,' dies at 74

How to Select Trusted and Best Soccer Gambling Agent Site

Soccer Gambling and SBObet

Best US Colleges for Getting an Art Degree

Does an insurance settlement cover disfigurement for a burn injury?

Launching Engaging Campaigns Online for Business Promotion

How to Backup Dropbox to OneDrive Directly and Automatically?




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

sa gaming free credit
Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful