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1st Edition
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- Artists
- Brantley, Hebru
 - Edition Details
| Year: | 2020 | | Class: | Original Art | | Status: | Official | | Released: | 08/05/21 | | Technique: | Original Mixed Media | | Paper: | Panel | | Size: | 17.87 X 17.87 | | Markings: | Signed |
- EB Awards
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- Venues
- Christie's
- Event
- Say It Loud: Visionaries of Self
- Comments
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Acrylic on panel
Diameter: 17 7/8 in. (45.6 cm.)
Included in Christie's auction 'Say It Loud: Visionaries of Self' (Aug. 5-Aug. 19, 2021)
Presale estimate: USD 8,000 - USD 12,000
The character, Phibby, with a helmet enveloping his dark face, is Brantley’s further exploration into the identity of the “safe Black man.” Referencing astronauts and space exploration as well as Kermit the Frog, the observer is able to view his childlike appearance with ease while surveying a deeper context. Phibby is seen experiencing a need to assimilate, specifically where Black people are tasked with making others feel safe, even when there is no threat. His bright green helmet allows him to do this, masking himself from society by creating a more approachable external image. Phibby challenges the viewer to examine the necessity to sell oneself short in order to fit in to the nature of the colonizer. Brantley addresses notions of how people of color were rarely seen as the hero or the savior, but instead would only gain favor by playing the part of satirical characters. Phibby is the personification of the safe zone for a Black man, with his helmet serving as both a retreat as well as a shield.
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