The lesson of the falling leaves 2017

Amy Sherald created 'The lesson of the falling leaves’ using oil paint on canvas. Sherald employs the traditional fine art medium of painting, yet her treatment introduces an element of social commentary. Notice how Sherald renders her sitter’s skin in grayscale rather than a naturalistic color. This disrupts conventional portraiture, drawing attention to the constructed nature of identity. The flat plane of color that serves as background further flattens the image, creating a sense of immediacy. The subject's clothing, however, is painted with close attention to detail, each square meticulously rendered and the leaf is vibrant and full of life. These elements introduce texture, pattern, and visual interest to the work. The very act of slowing down to paint these details becomes significant, countering the fast pace of contemporary life. The subject looks straight at us, engaging the viewer in questions of labor, identity, and representation. Sherald’s choices of material and process encourage us to question traditional hierarchies within art, and to consider the social context in which the work exists.