Listening to Amos and Andy

"A painting is like a catalyst. It can't tell a very complicated story. The complication comes in what you are doing in your mind." –Robert Colescott

By layering satirical imagery, Robert Colescott uses humor to expose viewers’ own racial and sexual stereotypes. In Listening to Amos and Andy, he takes on blackface minstrelsy in the form of Amos and Andy—the long-running radio serial in which two white voice actors played black characters. In the scene above, one actor’s shadow shows the exaggerated features of racist caricatures. The other actor’s white hand takes on black skin as it extends through the radio and into the living room below. The gesture suggests the far reach of derogatory stereotypes as the two listeners smile, cheerfully entertained by the offensive portrayal.

2002.26.4