Presidential Murals Go on Display in San Francisco

Published: February 23, 2009

Courtesy the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Kerry James Marshall's "Visible Means of Support: Mount Vernon" (2009)

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SAN FRANCISCO—Two murals by artist Kerry James Marshall celebrating George Washington and Thomas Jefferson will go on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art starting this week. The artworks, each measuring 27 by 32 feet, are painted on diagonal suspended walls of the museum's atrium.

Titled Visible Means of Support: Mount Vernon and Visible Means of Support: Monticello, the murals are colorful, expressionist landscapes done in the style of a children's activity coloring book. They incorporate mazes, bright primary colors, and hidden images, including some of slaves.

"George Washington was the leader in America's first struggle for freedom, and Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence... yet both were slave owners," said Marshall. "That's a contradiction that I find hard to ignore."

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The Birmingham, Alabama–born, Chicago-based artist is known for his large-scale works about African-American life and history. The murals at SFMOMA will be on view from this Thursday, February 26, through May 2010.

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