Family 1953

Charles Alston made this painting, "Family," using oil on canvas. Alston has built up a surface of many layers to produce this textured, fragmented picture. He likely used brushes, but perhaps also a palette knife or rag to apply the paint. These techniques allowed Alston to create a sense of depth and complexity, hinting at the many layers of history and experience that shape a family's identity. Note the way the artist left some areas of the canvas exposed, or thinly veiled with paint, in contrast to more heavily worked sections, which gives the painting a sense of incompleteness, suggesting the ongoing process of family formation. The very act of painting – a labor-intensive process requiring both physical and intellectual engagement – can be seen as a metaphor for the work of building and maintaining familial relationships. By considering Alston's materials, techniques, and social context, we gain a deeper appreciation for the powerful messages conveyed by this deceptively simple image.