David Clyde Driskell

Woman with Flowers

Woman with Flowers evokes Driskell’s personal history and cultural identity. The artist’s depiction of a vibrant bouquet memorializes his mother’s love of flowers, and the patchwork-like collage recalls her quilt making, which fascinated Driskell as a boy. The blossoms also serve to represent universal feminine nurturing, and the background’s decorative blocks suggest an interior space with an ornamental richness that celebrates domesticity.

The composition visually refers to Byzantine religious icons, alluding to the Christian faith with which the artist was raised. Torn fragments of Driskell’s 1972 woodblock print The African reiterate notions of craft while declaring a relationship with traditions of African art.

Driskell often used images from popular magazines, and the collaged photographs of the figure’s face connect modern notions of black female beauty to a legacy of maternal power.