Tar Baby, 2011. Digital vector art. Illustrator CS2.
As a child my mother used to read me the Uncle Remus stories which are an amalgamation of West African tales and Cherokee folklore. Brought over by slaves to the southern United States the tales center around Br'er Rabbit (Brother Rabbit). This blending of African, White, and Indian cultures make up a great many memories I have of my childhood. We grew up in the town where 'Gone With the Wind' is set; and learned about the indigenous Creeks and Cherokees that once lived in the surrounding areas.
This design depicts the Tar Baby, a sculpture made of tar and turpentine by Br'er Fox to ensnare Br'er Rabbit so that he may eat the tasty lapin. "Tar Baby" has become much maligned as a term mired in racial connotation but was meant as a fable, that being, the more you struggle in a sticky situation the more you'll find your faculties in a quagmire. In the background is a diamond and oil droplet motif. I included them because they are two commodities that Africans and all consuming Americans would be better off without.
