New Jersey, from the United States Series 1946

Curator: Let's turn our attention to Jacob Lawrence's "New Jersey, from the United States Series," painted in 1946, a mixed-media work. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: It strikes me immediately as vibrant and almost chaotic in its composition. The high-key colors and the jumbled placement of iconic imagery of the state creates a strong sense of playful energy. Curator: Indeed. It’s vital to consider this piece in the context of Lawrence’s broader project, his series celebrating American states. Lawrence was keenly interested in the labor of African Americans and their contribution to the shaping of American culture. We see this depicted with laborers carrying fruit baskets between locations in the state. Editor: From a formal standpoint, the compressed pictorial space flattens the image. The buildings are rendered two-dimensionally; space and form exist symbolically, accentuating color relationships. Curator: Consider the means of production at the time: post-war America, a nation rebuilding. Lawrence utilizes a mix of materials here. The choice to employ acrylic on canvas contributes to the work’s striking visual texture. We can think about the role materials play in democratization in that era; mass production of new materials became more available. Editor: Yet it is impossible to miss the echoes of Synthetic Cubism or even Pop Art. Notice how the artist strategically arranges abstract shapes alongside recognizable symbols: Princeton University and The Palisades. Curator: The overarching themes include industry and labor. What is also suggested by the various icons presented here is leisure; it serves as commentary on class. We should remember this was a period of increasing consumption in America, even as class divisions were increasingly visible. Editor: I would emphasize Lawrence’s masterful control of color in terms of conveying rhythm and mood. The contrast between the geometric abstractions of city architecture and human figuration creates tension within the canvas and speaks to a modern dissonance. Curator: That dissonance embodies what it meant to be Black in the mid-20th Century American landscape; opportunity mixed with exploitation. Overall, this vibrant mixed-media is an iconic look at mid-century America from a perspective not often presented. Editor: Precisely. Analyzing the artwork by unpacking the artist's visual choices illuminates meaning and impact, going beyond historical interpretations.