Wadsworth Jarrell

Wadsworth Jarrell was a founding member of AfriCOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists), a Chicago-based artists’ collective founded in 1968 to forge a distinctly Black form of contemporary art. Revolutionary features the vibrant tones and rhythmic text-based forms for which he is best known. Reinterpreting a painting of the previous year, the print depicts activist Angela Davis using words and phrases from her speeches, including “revolution” and “Black is beautiful.” Her figure dominates the composition in a way that Jarrell describes as “an attempt to capture the majestic charm, seriousness, and leadership of an astute drum major for freedom.”