Mickalene Thomas

Mickalene Thomas is an artist from New Jersey and currently lives and pursues her work in New York, creating pieces with many various materials. Her main choices of mediums are mixed-media, paint, photographs, films and installations. Thomas uses many themes surrounding the complexities of being black and female in the United States as well as the beauty of it. Most of her work is inspired by popular culture and art history. Thomas has won numerous prizes and grants for her works, including the Pratt Institute Legends Award and the Artist Impact Award.

Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe: Les trois femmes noires, 2010

This multi-media painting created by Mickalene Thomas in 2010 displays themes regarding the femininity and beauty of black women. The colors and clothing style remind me of the trends and fashion that peaked during the 70s in the United States. The bright colors and added layers for dimension make this piece extremely satisfying to view. The background has almost what I would refer to as a detailed simplicity- the way the background isn't too captivating to where it takes the attention off of the subject but it still has details that make it interesting as well. The posing of the three women makes this painting contain a feeling of comfort and familiarity. Thomas beautifully encapsulates the features belonging to these black women in order to display their culture and femininity. The patterns along the bottom of the painting really complete this piece; it doesn't take away from the women but more so adds to their presence and aesthetics.

November 1950, 2021

This multi-media painting truly caught my eye whilst scrolling through many of her works. While this painting is very interesting in its entirety, its broken down parts are equally captivating on their own. The pose of the woman is so vulnerable yet confident in her nudity and the changing of artistic styles and mediums really shows the dimensions of women as a whole. The various cut outs of censoring around the painting really adds an alluring element to the concept of nudity- it's almost as it she isn't entirely sure if she wants to censor it or keep it exposed. The background's simplicity really adds an emphasis on the subject.

Diahann Carroll #3, 2018

This piece captured my attention because it differed so greatly from her other works. I thought her regular use of color was absent within this particular painting. I like the layering of the two photos and the blend of them together in order to create a cool effect. The framing is truly interesting as I have never seen another painting with a structure as this one has. The simplistic lining throughout the painting really pulls it all together despite this detail not truly being a big component to the painting. The entire vibe and aesthetic of this painting really grabs my attention and compared to the rest of her paintings, it truly stands out within its more dull color palette.