Red Umbrella For the Youth

ALLEN STRINGFELLOW

American, 1923 – 2004

Red Umbrella for the Youth, 1994

Mixed media on Arches paper

Gift of Essie Green Galleries with the permission of Allen Stringfellow

1996.005

Allen Stringfellow is well known for his bright collages and mixed-media works that often depict scenes of the Black middle class ranging from everyday events and settings to religious celebrations, such as this outdoor baptism. Vibrant red umbrellas are also a common motif, as are exuberantly joyous figures. His art was influenced by his upbringing: he was the son of a jazz musician and a night-club singer, and was raised by his deeply religious grandmother.

Stringfellow studied at the University of Illinois in Champaign (where he was originally from) and at the Milwaukee Art Institute. He opened his own gallery in Chicago in 1960.

Savannah Singleton ‘21

Click on the image to the left to hear an interview with Allen Stringfellow where he describes a childhood memory of a red umbrella.

Selected transcription below:

Q: So what made you incorporate the red umbrella, was it just--?

A: Well that's a childhood memory even from Champaign [Illinois]. That was a big affair in Champaign. Go to Crystal Lake for a big baptism and I was even a child when I was into that because after the baptism they had the big picnic. All churches went together, the union picnic they called it. So if you wanted to get baptized to go to the picnic you would get baptized (laughs). And I don't know, for some reason it was always a red umbrella that they held over the preacher--well, it didn't have to be--not for the rain they did it for the sun and I remember that very well. I ran into that same thing again in New Orleans [Louisiana], they did that same thing and I always like the flow of that painting and it was always--it's still a painting, any show that I have it's always a version of that painting.