The artwork is titled “Untitled (A Lie is Not a Shelter)” and was created by Lorna Simpson in 1989. It is a part of the Postcolonial art movement and falls within the genre of photo-based artwork.
The artwork features a close-up black-and-white photograph of a person’s torso and crossed arms. Text is superimposed over the image, conveying the following messages: “a lie is not a shelter,” “discrimination is not protection,” “isolation is not a remedy,” and “a promise is not a prophylactic.” The stark contrast in the photograph appears to highlight the individual’s natural form and the textual elements, contributing to a potent visual commentary on the themes of deception, social injustice, alienation, and false assurances within the context of postcolonial discourse.
