If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it 2019

Amy Sherald's 2019 painting, "If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it," depicts a lone black figure in a white turtleneck, orange pants, and red hat sitting on a green steel beam against a bright blue sky. The figure's pose and the industrial setting suggest themes of precariousness, vulnerability, and resilience, while the flatness of the image and the stark contrasts of color are characteristic of Sherald's style. The piece, like much of Sherald's work, offers a contemporary perspective on the representation of Black subjects in art, exploring themes of identity, space, and the gaze.