Barkley Hendricks Slick Essay

As soon as I walked past this painting in the Chrysler, I was immediately stricken by it and knew it would be the perfect candidate for my summer assignment. Barkley L. Hendricks’s “Slick” is visually stunning. The stark contrast between the white of the suit and the brown of the man’s skin easily grab the viewer’s attention. The contrast between black and white is not only a visual one, but also reflects the social and political conditions of the era it was created in.1 Despite the contrasts in the image, a sort of unity is also suggested. In the painting, Hendricks wears both a hip white suit and a traditional African cap. This combination suggests a marriage between the old and the new, unity between the past and the present.

A great amount of connection is seen both inside and outside of Hendricks’s work. His unique style contains elements of pop art, photo realism, minimalism, and Black Nationalism. It also serves as something of a bridge between the movements of realism and post modernism.2 Additionally, each of his
Shakespeare’s famous quotation, “clothes make the man,” could not ring truer than it does in the work of Hendricks. When looking at this work, one of the most important things to note is that it is a self-portrait. Because of this, the viewer must examine why the artist would choose to portray himself in the way he does. Seeing as it was painted in 1977, it is important to consider the social circumstances of the time period. Though the era known as the Civil Rights movement was over, the fight for social justice was still in full swing and the black empowerment movement was on the rise.8 By painting himself as such a strong, large, beautiful figure, he reflects a pride in both his identity and his