Paige Pettibon (Black, Salish, and white descent, b. 1987), Rhoda, Richard, and Baby Richard, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.
Photo by Blair AlexanderTaken from a black-and-white family photograph, the painting of Paige Pettibon’s maternal grandparents evokes the “Black and white” world they lived in when their romance blossomed. Pettibon’s Salish grandmother and African American grandfather met in Seattle during a time when society was starkly defined, and separated, by color lines. Undeterred by the social order, they fell in love and manifested the strength of their union through the founding of a multigenerational, multiracial family that encompasses all colors. At the time, this young couple, posing lovingly for a simple photograph, may not have known their legacy would be so rich, vibrant, and bold, but Rhoda’s reflective gaze and Richard’s protective posture tell us they knew it would not be as simple as “Black and white.”
—LILLIAN SPARKS ROBINSONPaige Pettibon (Black, Salish, and white descent, b. 1987), Soren Lake, 2021. Acrylic on canvas.
Photo by Blair Alexander