Untitled (Masks) 1941

Curator: Oh, this print just vibrates with a kind of cool intensity. It’s called “Untitled (Masks)” by William McBride, created in 1941. The figures almost seem to jump off the page with those strong geometric patterns. Editor: Masks, huh? Yeah, I get that. These women…they’re staring into the distance, or maybe even into themselves, hidden behind this gorgeous armor of sharp lines. Black and white is so stark, isn't it? It simplifies and somehow that lets the emotion cut deeper. Curator: Absolutely. The black and white print was created in the mid-twentieth century, and the artist uses a dynamic interplay of line and geometric forms to create portraits, the bold style aligning with elements found in the Black Arts Movement, which blossomed later. Editor: You know, there's something ritualistic about it, or at least spiritual. The red accents – a dash on an earring, a bar across the top – feel intentional, charged, like drops of lifeblood. The figures feel monumental even though it's print. Curator: The geometric patterns carry strong symbolism, referencing traditional African design elements, even while employing a modernist simplification, connecting to ideas around cultural identity and heritage and its emergence in African American art circles during this period. McBride's compositions really reflect an artistic moment when these concerns became so very central. Editor: Yeah, the ancestral whisper is strong. It also seems that despite that geometric armour the faces have so much strength and determination – those sharp noses and chins aren't passive. Makes you wonder what stories are etched behind those features. It almost makes me want to get to know each one! Curator: In those sharp angles, and the intentional formalism of the time, perhaps McBride was looking to visualize Black identity with clarity and impact in a world of pervasive misrepresentation. I think this artwork definitely encapsulates that idea. Editor: It certainly got my attention. The whole piece crackles with a poised sense of purpose. Thanks for bringing out the significance beyond what I can appreciate in just staring!