Provenance

Purchased from the collection of Jeremy Gordon.

"In 1946 after the end of World War II, my grandfather (Avery W. Gordon) returned home to Detroit, married my grandmother (Doreen Gordon) and started a family.  They became interested in art, initially not being able to purchase any art, they frequented and became members of the Detroit Institute of Art Founders Society.  On one occasion they met a young artist Hughie Lee Smith.  After speaking with him, and getting to know him, he agreed to do a painting for them, at a cost that was affordable to everyone. On a Sunday, in 1954, Hughie Lee Smith came to their home, with a package wrapped in brown paper.  My grandparents invited him in.  The package was unwrapped and the painting was shown to my grandparents.  My grandparents liked the piece very much and agreed to purchase the painting.  At that time,  my grandmother insisted that he stay for an early dinner and join them, while they decided where to hang the piece.  It was decided by everyone that the painting (Triangle) should be framed and hung in a prominent place in the house, which my grandfather decided was above the piano.  In all of the moves during their lives, Triangle was always hung in the place of prominence, above their piano .To me personally, the piece represents my grandparents.  When I was about 5 I had hurt myself at their home.  While my grandmother was tending to my injury, my grandfather had me sit on the piano bench where we looked at Triangle.  He told me the story of a young artist that they met, that was now becoming very famous and that they had been lucky enough to have this painting by him.  I love that painting and what it meant to them."

The painting was shown publicly for the first time at the Wadsworth Atheneum's Afrocosmologies exhibition in 2019.