2020.44
Fear of Dark
Artist
Katherine Bradford
(New York City, New York, 1942 - )
Title
Fear of Dark
Creation Date
2020
Century
early 21st century
Dimensions
80 x 68 in. (203.2 x 172.72 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Creation Place
North America, United States
Medium and Support
acrylic on canvas
Credit Line
Gift of David and Barbara Roux in honor of Frank and Anne Goodyear
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
2020.44
Suggesting the comfort provided by a mother’s lap in the face of uncertainty, Fear of Dark— painted in the summer of 2020 amidst a pandemic and growing cries for racial justice—alludes the profound challenges of our era. As if to offer encouragement, the painting evokes the light that may emerge during darkness through stars that hover over the three sitters. Intriguingly, it is the smallest that undergirds the group, with feet well planted. Bradford notes: “It seems to me that if you go and sit on someone’s lap for a little while that eventually you will be the one to provide the lap.” Reflecting on this poignant insight, we may recognize that it is not only the young who seek reassurance from their elders, but adults who find comfort in a new vision for the future on the part of the next generation.