Africa 10 1970

Robert Motherwell created the print "Africa 10," and its stark forms evoke complex social and cultural themes. As an abstract expressionist, Motherwell was deeply engaged with the political and existential concerns of his time. The title "Africa" links the work to broader post-colonial discourses and the struggles for liberation on the African continent. The large, gestural black shape can be read as a symbol of both oppression and resistance, resonating with the civil rights movement in the United States and global anti-imperialist movements. To understand this image more fully, we need to explore sources from the period. Examining political pamphlets, newspapers, and the writings of contemporary intellectuals can help us uncover how Motherwell's art engaged with, and potentially challenged, the prevailing social and institutional norms of his time. It is through this kind of historical contextualization that the contingent meanings of "Africa 10" come to light.