Child's Play

Mixed media paper collage on hardboard

32 x 40 inches

Artwork by Nia I. Winslow

I’ve always been inspired by old images depicting Black life. The influence for this piece is a photograph taken in Harlem in 1946. What’s most interesting about the photograph is the story behind it. The photo was taken as a result of the efforts of novelist and prominent leader of the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston, who was helping to organize outdoor activities for children in the community. She and a group of women were trying to combat juvenile delinquency in Harlem.

The photo, which was intended to be published alongside an article written about Ms. Hurston and her work in the community, never appeared in the New York Times newspaper. Instead, the article was run sans photo. The photo was later uncovered and published in Unseen (2017), a photo book that features images from Black history that were buried in the New York Times photo archives for decades.

Very rarely do I stray away from color, but because this is what I consider to be a “period piece,” I wanted to try to maintain the essence of the photograph and its historical significance.