User:Chevy2100/sandbox

Life
Elizabeth Catlett, born April 15,1915, was raised in Washington D.C. living with her mother as the head of the household. Both of Catlett’s family line were slaves in America, with both her mother and father to be children of freed slaves. She graduated from Howard University and furthered her studies of wood carving at University of Iowa while facing discrimination. In 1946, Catlett moved to Mexico City, Mexico, in order to further her studies. She later worked as a muralist for Taller de Grafica Popular , an activist group containing Communist Party members, which resulted in the revoke of Catlett’s US citizenship due to being viewed as an ally to Communist ideals. Since then, she disowned her American citizenship and lived as a Mexican Citizen. Catlett lived her life in Cuernavaca, Mexico and later passed on April 2, 2012 at age 96.

Torso (1985)
Elizabeth Catlett created Torso (b. 1985), a carving in mahogany modeled after another of Catlett's pieces, Pensive (b. 1946) a bronze sculpture. The mahogany carving is in the York College, CUNY Fine Art Collection (dimensions: 35’ H x 19’ W x 16’ D.) The exaggerated arms and breasts are prominent features of this piece. The crossed arms are broad with simple geometric shapes and ripples to indicate a shirt with rolled up sleeves, along with a gentle ridge along the neck. The hands are carved larger than what would be in proportion to the torso. The figure's eyes are painted with a calm, yet steady gaze that signifies confidence. Catlett evokes a strong, working-class black woman similar to her other pieces that she created to portray women's empowerment through expressive poses. Catlett favored materials like cedar and mahogany because these materials naturally depict brown skin.

Artist Statement
"Art for me must develop from a necessity within my people. It must answer a question, or wake somebody up, or give a shove in the right direction — our liberation."

— Elizabeth Catlett