Mickalene Thomas: Celebrating Black Women as Icons in Multimedia Pieces

Icon portraits are a long-standing tradition within the art world. They are a genre of portrait paintings of public figures who have left a significant mark on society. Some examples include Il Bronzino’s portraits of the Medici from the 1500s or Andy Warhol’s portraits of Marilyn Monroe from the 1960s. However, as with all practices in art history, icon portraits have often excluded portraits of public figures who have come from marginalized backgrounds, including people of colour and queer people. 

Now, Black American artist Mickalene Thomas has decided to take matters into her own hands by creating a compelling oeuvre of portraiture to celebrate Black women icons such as Eartha Kitt and Maya Angelou. Thomas’ multimedia pieces give these women, who have shaped history for the better, some much-needed visibility. They offer her viewers a platform to understand and relate to their stories, whose legacy extends far beyond the Black community. This is why her pieces are relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality and Reduced Inequalities.

One example is Thomas’ piece, Angelitos Negros #1, which features a video of the legendary performer, singer and actress Eartha Kitt performing her hit song Angelitos Negros (Little Black Angels) on three HD screens. These videos are spliced with additional footage of Thomas and three other performers imitating Kitt’s movements and lip-syncing to her lyrics. The end result looks as though Thomas had captured additional footage of Kitt singing Angelitos Negros, allowing her to amplify Kitt’s voice and persona. 

Kitt’s performance of Angelitos Negros (Little Black Angels) was particularly chosen as the song’s lyrics highlight Thomas’ reason for portraying Black women icons. In the song’s opening lyrics, Kitt asks her listeners why black angels are never depicted in church paintings and demands that they be painted immediately. She sings these words with pained expressions, making her viewers understand that she views those angels as a negation of herself and her identity. Hence, when Kitt asks people to paint and see Black angels, she asks them to represent Black women so they can recognize their representation as angels and feel empowered.

The imposition of the different videos being spliced together in Angelitos Negros #1 creates a fragmented yet holistic image of Eartha Kitt. When combined, the footage highlights some of Kitt's features, such as her eyes and mouth. Even if this is fictional footage of Eartha Kitt made by Thomas and her performers, this act symbolizes Thomas’ wish to create an in-depth portrait of Kitt; one that can capture her many layers as a public figure, inspiration and human being. Thomas is no stranger to employing fragmented images to create in-depth portraits. A similar technique can also be found in Thomas’ series of paintings of other renowned Black women actresses. These are figures such as Diahann Carroll, Naomi Sims and Pam Grier, who have epitomized the Black is Beautiful movement in Hollywood cinema during the 1960s - 70s. 

When asked about the series, Thomas explained that “These women were defining another way of looking at beauty, […] It’s not just the surface, it’s also the actions,” she said in an interview with Art Basel. Hence, the fragments allow Thomas to ask her viewers to view these Black women icons as more than just pretty faces. She also compels them to learn more about their individual histories, including how much they have contributed to Black communities and society at large.

For example, Diahann Carroll had a career of firsts. She was the first Black actress to have her own sitcom, the first Black actress to win an Emmy for best actress and the first Black actress to win a Tony award. Not only that, Carroll was also a breast cancer activist. She advocated for educating women on the disease, campaigning for early detection and self-assessments to increase the likelihood of breast cancer survivors.

Overall, Mickalene Thomas’ pieces are powerful tributes to Black women figures. They celebrate their contributions to history, culture, and society by engaging their viewers through fragmented yet holistic images. In creating them, Thomas encourages dialogue and reflection around themes of identity, representation and empowerment in a world where Black women, whether or not they are public figures, are often silenced and shunned.

Find out more about Black women icon portraits and other pieces by Mickalene Thomas checking her website www.arte.bio/mickalene-thomas or Instagram @mickalenethomas.