Helen in her Cab

This artwork is a portrait of a woman cabbie from the 1940s. I worked with acrylic paint to portray the woman. In most works, I used gold leaf and/or embroidery to embellish each woman. It’s a means to honor them and speak to the irony of being documented by a photographer but not worthy enough of documenting her name.

But part of my process is to have an imagined conversation with the portrait. And sometimes, they tell me they don't want gold or embroidery. So I listen.