The Statue of Liberty
as Icon in Black Contemporary Art
The Statue of Liberty has long had a place in popular culture, and political cartoons utilizing the statue began to appear in the 1880s–even before the Statue’s installation on Bedloe’s Island. Images of the statue have been used for both reactionary and progressive causes, and many newspapers and media outlets have historically used the image of the statue to address social injustice. Yet the biggest growth in Statue of Liberty iconography has been in popular culture–with artists, musicians and filmmakers utilizing the Statue of Liberty in their work as a touchstone for the realities of life in U.S. society.
The images below are just some of the depictions of the Statue of Liberty through Black contemporary works of art, political cartoons and other mediums.
Benny Andrews, Trash, 1971, oil and collage on canvas, 10 x 28 ft.
Hank Willis Thomas, Liberty, 2015, fiberglass, chameleon auto paint finish, 35 x 10 x 10 in. Brooklyn Museum, New York.
Benny Andrews, Liberty (Study #2 for Trash), 1971, oil on canvas, 34 x 24 in.
Benny Andrews, Composition #8 for Trash, 1971, pen and ink on paper, 18 x 24 in.
Benny Andrews, Composition #9 for Trash, 1971, pen and ink on paper, 24 x 18 in.
Benny Andrews, Liberty (Study #4 for Trash), 1971, oil on canvas, 34 x 24 in.
Benny Andrews, Composition (Study for Trash), 1971, oil and collage on twelve joined panels, 50 x 92 in. The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York.
Hank Willis Thomas, Unity, 2019, bronze, 22 ft. tall. Commissioned by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ Percent for Art Program. Installed at the intersection of Tillary Street and Adams Street in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City.
Benny Andrews, Liberty on Top of the World #2 (Study for Trash), 1971, pen and ink on paper, 18 x 11 ⅞ in. The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York.
Kiyan Williams, Ruins of Empire, 2022. Commissioned by Public Art Fund and presented as part of Black Atlantic at Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York City, May 17 – November 27, 2022.
Nona Faustine, Fragment of Evidence, Statue of Liberty, 2016, inkjet print, 27 x 40 in. Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA.
Nari Ward, Lazarus, 2019, shoelaces, 108 x 100 x 2 ½ in.
Faith Ringgold, The American Collection #1: We Came to America, 1997, acrylic on canvas, 74.5 x 79.5 in.
Renee Cox, Chillin’ With Liberty, 1998, chromogenic print on paper
Dindga McCannon, Revolutionary Sister, 1971, mixed media construction on wood, 62 x 27 in. Brooklyn Museum, New York.
Kalup Linzy & Dan Colen, Sweet Liberty, 2014, C print, 20 x 30 in.
Charles Alston, “Special Delivery for Freedom!”, 1944, sketch. Still Picture Records Section, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S), National Archives at College Park, MD.
Valerie Maynard, Untitled, from the Statue of Liberty series, after 2001.
Steve McQueen, Static, 2009, 35mm film transferred to video (color, sound)
Abigail DeVille, Light of Freedom, 2020, welded steel, cabling, rusted metal steel, mannequin arms, metal scaffolding, wood, 156 x 96 x 96 in. Installed in Madison Square Park, New York City.
David Hammons, Pray for America, 1969, screenprint and pigment on paper, 60 ½ x 30 in. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
John Moore, Liberty and Justice, mixed media, 1986. Art and Artifacts Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York.
Nari Ward, LAZARUS Beacon, 2020, digital projection
Photograph: Martin Dixon, Lady Liberty, 1999 - NYPL
William Pope.L, Great White Way: 22 miles, 5 years, 1 street, 2002, performance.
Valerie Maynard, Untitled, from the Statue of Liberty series, after 2001, pen, ink, and gouache on paper, 26 x 20 in.
Installation view of Julie Mehretu, Ghosthymn (after the Raft), 2019–21, ink and acrylic on canvas, 144 x 180 in. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
Charles Gaines, The American Manifest: Moving Chains, 2022. Commissioned by Creative Time and Governors Island Arts. Installed on Governors Island.
Hank Willis Thomas, Liberty, 2015, bronze, automotive paint, 114 x 29 x 29 in. Commissioned by Public Art Fund and installed in City Hall Park, New York City.