Creator Record
Images
Metadata
Name |
Catlett, Elizabeth |
Other names |
Mora, Elizabeth Catlett |
Life Dates |
1915-2012 Born: Washington, District of Columbia Died: Cuernavaca, Mexico |
Nationality |
American / Mexican / African American |
Geographic location(s) |
Mexico USA |
Occupation |
printmaker sculptor Female artist |
Notes |
The African-American sculptor, painter, and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett was born in Washington, D.C. to John and Mary Catlett, who both were the children of freed slaves. She attended Howard University and the University of Iowa. In 1946 she received a Rosenfeld Fellowship to travel to Mexico. Her life of activism and association with Marxist and Communist ideals on both sides of the border eventually made her a target of McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee. Because many members of her artist's collective and her husband, Francisco Mora, were Communists and because of the nature of her work and activism, the U.S. State Department declared her an undesirable alien and her U.S. citizenship was revoked, forcing her to become a Mexican citizen (she was already a resident). Her work reflects her interest in African art and social issues in the United States and Mexico. |
Role |
Artist |
Related Records
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2017.1.1 - Print
From the series "For My People," a set of six lithographs illustrating a poem by Margaret Walker. Printed by J. K. Fine Art Editions Co. and published by the Limited Editions Club, New York. Signed lower right, in pencil: E Catlett '92. Lower left in pencil: 74/99 Elizabeth Catlett's To Marry is inspired by a verse in Margaret Walker's poem "For My People." Laid out like a family photo album, the print depicts a couple on their wedding day, ab...
Record Type: Object