Sold Down the River 

Mark Beck’s unsettling painting, "Sold Down the River," made in the late 20th century, presents a poignant visual metaphor for the loss and displacement experienced by marginalized communities, particularly African Americans. The work stages a collision of domesticity and disaster. While a house cascades over a waterfall, a Black woman stands in the foreground, arms crossed, her gaze steady and knowing. This alludes to the historical practice of selling enslaved people further south, away from their families and communities, often down the Mississippi River. Beck challenges us to reflect on the ongoing impact of historical injustices. The figures on the shoreline, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil, can be interpreted as a commentary on the ignorance or indifference of mainstream society. The painting evokes the emotional weight of dispossession, inviting us to confront uncomfortable truths about power, privilege, and the enduring legacy of systemic oppression.