Explore "Woman on a Bridge #1 of 5: Tar Beach (1988)", one of the most important works by Faith Ringgold, a renowned artist, writer, and activist. This monumental quilt, the first in a series of five, tells the story of a young girl who dreams of flying from her Harlem rooftop to celebrate her own freedom and self-possession.

This exhibition dives into Ringgold’s artistic influences and the lasting impact she has had on later generations of artists. Alongside Tar Beach, visitors will see works from the Guggenheim New York collection by European modernists such as Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso, who inspired Ringgold, and contemporary American artists such as Tschabalala Self and Sanford Biggers, whose work reflects her legacy.

The Reach of Faith Ringgold is organized by Naomi Beckwith, Deputy Director and Jennifer and David Stockman Chief Curator, with support from Saria AlMidani, Assistant to Chief Curator. It is the third exhibition in the series Collection in Focus.

Faith Ringgold, "Woman on a Bridge #1 of 5: Tar Beach," 1988. Acrylic paint, canvas, printed fabric, ink, and thread. 74 5/8 x 68 1/2 inches (189.5 x 174 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York Gift, Mr. and Mrs. Gus and Judith Leiber, 1988 88.3620. © 2024 Faith Ringgold / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, Courtesy ACA Galleries, New York. Photo: Ariel Ione Williams © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York

Exhibition Website

Inspiration

Transcript:
Albertine Happel was Gabriele Münter's aunt who came to the United States from Prussia, now Germany, in 1845 when she was six years old. Albertine married Hartman Happel, and they had six children. Hartman had passed away by the time Münter visited St. Louis in 1898. She returned again in 1900, this time with her No. 2 Bulls-Eye Kodak camera. It was on the second trip that she took this photograph of her aunt.  

This work is an excellent example of Münter's experimental approach to photography. It's difficult to know where to begin with this photograph as there are so many interesting points of entry. 

For one, Munter positions her camera on a table, emphasizing a pair of salt and pepper grinders in the foreground which tower to the right of her aunt. The No. 2 Bulls-Eye had long exposure times for indoor photographs such as this one, and it would've been essential to keep the camera steady to avoid a blurry picture. 

To our knowledge, Münter did not use a tripod to take photographs. Instead, she often used her body to steady her camera, or in some cases, furniture, railings or even the brush of a riverbed. This photograph is also one of several that Münter manually trimmed. While the No. 2 Bulls-Eye camera produced square photographs that were roughly three and a half by three and a half inches, the original print of this photograph is rectangular in shape and is two and three eighths by three and seven sixteenths inches. 

Perhaps Münter would cut certain prints to alter the compositions. This level of engagement with her photographs on the level of formal arrangement to the material print implies a depth of rigor and creativity to her practice that went beyond the mere conventions of her early box camera.

Motivation

wild genius

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