05/28/2026
The colors of Wycliffe Mundopa’s piece wash over the observer and then the figures come into focus. Women interacting with each other and the world, boldly taking up space across the large canvas.
In contrast, the black and white photographs from this April 1940 “Everyday Photography” magazine are focused on staging the shot and almost lose the women as props into the background.
The large brush strokes that Mundopa uses to create his tableau give that human touch to each person and animal in the work, even when the minute details are not available. It feels like there is more room for the viewer to be part of these women’s inner circle.
Meanwhile, the photographs bring details into focus for the viewer but feel too much like people playing at life.
Mundopa though titled his work “Based on Almost Life Part 2.” So perhaps today’s pairing rings with the possibilities of life if not its reality.
