Kerry James Marshall
The portraits Scout Boy (1995), Scout Girl (1996) and Scout Master (1996) present an uneasy link between innocence and experience. On the one hand they display confidence in the success of the black middle-class possessing a certain degree of affluence before having occasion for leisure pursuits like the Scouts that had been traditionally seen as activities for youth of the white middle-class. The works offer commentary on how some black people only consider having “made it” by participating in pastimes savored by white people. Moreover, the comic-strip-esque stars of light-burst behind their heads are reminiscent of those seen in portrayals of superheroes – a wry comment on the level of aspiration perhaps.