In one of Douglas’s paintings, Song of the Towers, Douglas uses different colors and shades to portray his message. In many of his paintings the people are palely colored, ghostly looking, silhouettes or dark shadowlike figures. The darker shadowlike silhouettes represent African Americans. Not only do they represent African Americans because of their dark complexion mimicking African Americans’ darker skin tone, but also they are meant to look like shadows. Douglas painted African Americans to look like shadows because that’s how whites perceived them. They perceived them as down on the ground, and out of the way. The whites wanted nothing to do with them. The whites also controlled everything they did just like a person controls their shadow.
The figures in Douglas’s piece Song of the Towers each give a distinctive meaning. The direct focus is on the main figure in the center. This man is holding a saxophone in his hand representing the creativity in literature and music during the …show more content…
In the center, far in the distance, there is the Statue of Liberty, which represents freedom. To get to the statue of liberty, from where the first figure is standing, it would be very difficult. Standing tall in front the statue are soaring skyscrapers, appearing to be growing taller and taller. These buildings also appear to be closing off the path to the Statue of Liberty. This could simulate the effect advancement in the industrial, and business world of whites, made life all that more difficult for African Americans. Going along with the industrial theme there is also a huge gear that suggestively seems to be turning. This gear symbolizes the machinery in the city, along with the society that could easily grind anyone up, including the struggling figure on top. Emerging out of the corners are what seem to be hands. These hands look as if they are trying to grab, and to pull down the