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This photo, one of Leonard’s earlier works, features members of Oakland’s Black community lounging on the floor to watch TV in the 1970’s. Here, we see two people safely resting at home—a stark contrast to the public images of Black Americans both protesting and being brutalized that were popularized during the Civil Rights Movement. This photograph reflects a personal desire— and right—to rest. Through her practice, Leonard “discovered that realms of private and public are rarely as separate as [she] once imagined.”
Thumbnail-size images of copyrighted artworks are displayed under fair use, in accordance with guidelines recommended by the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts, published by the College Art Association in February 2015.
Couple Watching TV in Bedroom
Joanne Leonard (American, born in 1940)
about 1975
Medium/Technique
Photograph, gelatin silver print
Dimensions
Sheet: 25.2 × 20.3 cm (9 15/16 × 8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Joanne Leonard in honor of Eleanor Rubin
Accession Number2019.1832
CollectionsContemporary Art, Americas, Photography
ClassificationsPhotographs
This photo, one of Leonard’s earlier works, features members of Oakland’s Black community lounging on the floor to watch TV in the 1970’s. Here, we see two people safely resting at home—a stark contrast to the public images of Black Americans both protesting and being brutalized that were popularized during the Civil Rights Movement. This photograph reflects a personal desire— and right—to rest. Through her practice, Leonard “discovered that realms of private and public are rarely as separate as [she] once imagined.”
DescriptionSister of Eleanor Rubin, whose work is also in the collection
Provenance2019, gift of the artist to the MFA. (Accession date: September 25, 2019)