Oil paint on canvas, 22 x 28 in.
I have a great fascination with the Jazz Era of the 1920s, specifically the Harlem Renaissance and the “rags-to-riches” story of the American Dream. Reading literature like The Great Gatsby, I was intrigued by the concept of the carefree jubilance of the time period. Although the era is marked by institutionalized segregation, the speakeasies and the bootleg establishments allowed more integration. When people danced free from judgement or oppression, they were truly living the American Dream. The woman at the bar, who is evidently more careful about her position in society, realizes that in her desire to maintain her status, she had sacrificed the simple joys of dancing and community, but she is beginning to question this decision. The American Dream does not glorify the trite narrative of the upper-class but instead explores the simple beauty of the little things in life.
