The door of justice

The door of justice

Elizabeth S. Catlett

2000

Color lithograph
Signed, titled, dated and numbered 69/100
Blind stamp: Printed by J K Fine Art Editions Co., New York

Incorporating brighter colors, this later print by Catlett is enigmatic and has provoked discussion about its meaning. Its composition is bisected. At left, an African American couple holds a door: Are they opening or closing it? At the right, ten people of varying generations, cultures, and genders are clustered at the doorway. Art historian Mey-Yen Moriuchi at La Salle University believes “This thought-provoking image perhaps reflects the position that America’s ‘melting pot’ is growing but our acceptance of difference still faces solid barriers. I believe Catlett understood this tension, having experienced it firsthand in the United States and Mexico. The image seems to pictorialize Catlett’s recognition that a more inclusive, transnational world will be fraught with constant setbacks; a situation that certainly resonates today.”

Loaned by Sragow Gallery (Ellen Sragow, Ltd), New York, New York