Lot 178
Black Joe Jackson (American, 1922-1997). "Wasn Da Witz" house paint on plywood, n.d. Signed down right margin and titled down left. Rendered in Jackson's signature housepaint on salvaged plywood, "Wasn Da Witz" ("Washing the Whites") captures a scene of domestic labor elevated to iconic stature. At the center is a curvaceous Black woman stooped over a washtub, her powerful arms extended as she prepares to scrub a bundle of white laundry. Her voluptuous figure, defined by sensuous curves and broad limbs, is set off by a short-sleeved tan dress patterned with burgundy dots. The garment clings and swings with motion, accentuating her femininity in a way that feels both monumental and maternal - an exaggerated expression of womanhood that likely reflects the artist's memory of his own mother from childhood. Her hair is styled in Jacksons characteristic raised braids or barrettes, standing almost like a crown atop her head - echoing the pride and personal symbolism that permeates his figures. Size: 0.5" L x 12.5" W x 15.5" H (1.3 cm x 31.8 cm x 39.4 cm)
Behind her stretches a dreamlike field in smeared hues of mauve, gray, and green, beneath a sky brushed with lavender and charcoal storm clouds. The entire surface vibrates with texture, emotion, and memory. On the vertical borders, the words "Wasn Da Witz" and "Black Joe Jackson" appear in the artist's unmistakable hand - crudely lettered but emphatically present, as much a part of the composition as the figure herself.
As with much of Black Joe Jackson's work, the painting offers an homage to everyday Black life in the rural South, filtered through the lens of personal history and visual invention. "Wasn Da Witz" is not just a depiction of washing clothes - it is a devotional portrait of labor, care, and the formidable presence of Black womanhood.
About the Artist: Black Joe Jackson was a self-taught African-American artist born to a sharecropper family near Atlanta, Georgia in 1920. Jackson created paintings on wooden boards and used easily available materials such as house paint an scrap wood. He was born with dyslexia, and the writings on his paintings demonstrate this. He is oftentimes described as a folk artist or an outsider artist due to his playful, naive style. Jackson's themes reflect memories from his childhood in the South.
Provenance: private Rochester, Minnesota, USA collection, acquired from 1990 -1998
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#192007
- Condition: Signed down right margin and titled down left. Painting is in excellent overall condition with suspension wire on verso for display.
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