Thom Shaw
American, 1947-2010
Alley Buffet, 1996
Woodcut on paper, 27 1/2 x 22 inches
Gift of Ellen Price
2017.11
Cincinnati artist Thom Shaw produced a body of work that was uncompromising and undiluted in its descriptions of his life experiences. Shaw encrypted his prints with engaging narrative, social commentary, and perspectives on what it was like to be Black in America. This stark print is composed through bold forms and high contrasts between lights and darks, mixed with wood textures to emphasize the figure’s presence. Shaw’s use of clean lines and sharp alternating patterns heighten the tension of the scene. Shaw forces the viewer to consider the inequality of which he recognized in disenfranchised communities, particularly in his native Cincinnati.