[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:01.16,0:00:05.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪ soft uplifting music ♪
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.38,0:00:22.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪ ethereal ambient music ♪
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.44,0:00:31.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy Sherald] I really have this deep belief that\Nimages can change the world
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.86,0:00:36.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's not that I started making work with\Nthat belief but it's what I've come to
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.84,0:00:38.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,know
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.05,0:00:48.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.15,0:00:51.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's a beautiful way to tell a story
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.00,0:01:07.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.66,0:01:12.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I consider myself an American realist
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.60,0:01:17.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For me it means just recognizing my Americanness first,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.48,0:01:22.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and just wanting the\Nwork to join a greater ongoing conversation.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.30,0:01:27.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Edward Hopper or Andy Wyeth\Nthey're telling these American stories
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.62,0:01:30.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I'm also telling American stories
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.43,0:01:34.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.68,0:01:38.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Man Announcer] Miss Amy Sherald, portrait artist.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:38.10,0:01:41.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Woman Announcer] Last week, Amy\NSherald went from being a\Nvirtual unknown
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.73,0:01:44.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to one of the most talked about artists in the world
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.65,0:01:48.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,On Monday, her painting of Michelle Obama
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.12,0:01:52.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was unveiled alongside Kehinde Wiley's\Nportrait of President Barack Obama
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.61,0:01:56.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Both Sherald and Wiley were interviewed and\Nchosen for the job
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.23,0:01:58.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by the Obamas themselves...
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.58,0:02:03.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] I wanted to paint a quiet and Powerful portrait of her that
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.19,0:02:07.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,offered the viewer\Na different kind of moment.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.89,0:02:09.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪ sensitive piano music ♪
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.84,0:02:13.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And make it truly about \Nher and not about
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.98,0:02:17.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the "First Lady" title.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.00,0:02:24.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And making everyone feel the way\Nthat she makes people feel in person,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.05,0:02:26.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is like she's very relatable.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.08,0:02:31.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When they look at Michelle, they can see themselves.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.03,0:02:34.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By being herself, she gives\Nus permission to be our full selves.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.78,0:02:41.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.27,0:02:47.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It just so happens that painting Black people
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.12,0:02:48.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is kind of political.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.70,0:02:53.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But these figures\Nhanging on museum walls,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.07,0:02:54.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's more than just that;
Dialogue: 0,0:02:54.97,0:02:57.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you know, it's more than\Njust the corrective narrative.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.54,0:03:03.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's gotta be about humanity first, and then everything else has to follow.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.88,0:03:06.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.78,0:03:12.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The decision to paint the skin in gray,\Nwhen I first started making this work
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.30,0:03:15.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think I had an anxiety about\Nthe work being marginalized
Dialogue: 0,0:03:15.85,0:03:18.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the conversation solely being about identity.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.22,0:03:22.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This was something that I wasn't\Ntrying to escape necessarily,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.67,0:03:26.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but I wanted the work\Nto be bigger than that.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.89,0:03:32.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I started to think of it as a way to allow the viewer to have
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.45,0:03:36.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an experience that was not about race first.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.22,0:03:42.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These paintings, for me, are\Nreally about our interior lives.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.00,0:03:48.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[birds chirping]\N[sprinkler ticking]
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.72,0:03:55.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Geraldine] Well, this is Amy. It's not a large\None, but that's Amy,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:55.47,0:03:57.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I'm trying to think\Nof her age at the time.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.04,0:04:00.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] Six or seven,\Nmaybe second grade.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.26,0:04:03.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then this is\Nall of my siblings.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:03.88,0:04:05.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Geraldine] Yeah,\NAmy was the bossy one.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.88,0:04:07.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[laughter]
Dialogue: 0,0:04:07.67,0:04:09.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] That's funny.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.50,0:04:11.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Geraldine] She wanted to be an\Nartist and, of course,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:11.10,0:04:14.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I would always say, "I\Ndon't want a starving artist.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.04,0:04:18.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can be a doctor, a lawyer,\Nanything better than an artist.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.28,0:04:19.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Do your art on the side."
Dialogue: 0,0:04:19.46,0:04:21.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But she was\Ndetermined to be an artist.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:22.67,0:04:26.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] Yeah, and this is my\Nmom when she was 19.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:26.45,0:04:27.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Geraldine] High school.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.81,0:04:29.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪ sensitive piano music ♪
Dialogue: 0,0:04:29.94,0:04:34.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Having these here for me was\Nthe opportunity to understand my
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.71,0:04:36.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,history and where I come from.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:36.76,0:04:38.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And after using the\Ngray scale painting,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:38.88,0:04:42.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I really started to think about\Nthese images that I had growing up.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.75,0:04:44.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:04:44.83,0:04:48.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was always drawn to the\Nphotograph of my grandmother, Jewel
Dialogue: 0,0:04:49.02,0:04:51.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I just think photographs from this time,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:51.04,0:04:55.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that eyes really tell a story like you\Ncan really feel who they were in that
Dialogue: 0,0:04:55.08,0:04:59.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,moment, and I think that's what really\Ndraws me to black and white photography
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.46,0:05:04.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is because it's so special and saturated\Nwith so much emotional energy.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.61,0:05:10.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Looking at her picture, I\Nsaw a woman who was dignified, who represented herself
Dialogue: 0,0:05:10.86,0:05:15.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in a way that influenced how I wanted \Nto be represented in the world as well.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.82,0:05:24.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I don't think I realized that I was missing \Nseeing imagery of myself in art history.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:24.86,0:05:30.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It wasn't until I came across\Na painting that actually had a person of
Dialogue: 0,0:05:30.60,0:05:33.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,color in it — a Black person — that I\Nrealized that
Dialogue: 0,0:05:33.07,0:05:34.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I had never seen that before.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.00,0:05:40.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:05:40.07,0:05:43.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As a sixth grader, my\Nfirst time going to a museum,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.51,0:05:45.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when I saw this\Npainting by Bo Bartlett,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:45.85,0:05:50.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was shocked that I was looking\Nat a figure of a Black man.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:50.00,0:05:51.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He was standing in\Nfront of a house,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:51.96,0:05:55.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he had on a belt that had,\Nlike, some handyman stuff.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:55.88,0:05:59.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I just remember standing\Nthere for a few minutes,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:59.31,0:06:03.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I realized when I saw that work \Nthat I wanted to make paintings like that.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:03.60,0:06:07.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was able to see my\Nfuture in that moment.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:09.06,0:06:15.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this is my childhood bedroom,\Nand it's pretty much exactly as I left it
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.00,0:06:19.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when I moved to Atlanta to go to \NClark Atlanta University.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.26,0:06:20.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I didn't have the kind of mom that, like,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:20.98,0:06:23.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,let us put posters up in\Nour room or anything like that;
Dialogue: 0,0:06:23.37,0:06:27.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like, everything had to be just\Nlike this when I left to go to school.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.54,0:06:30.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪ smooth jazzy music ♪
Dialogue: 0,0:06:30.42,0:06:37.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I waited tables from the time I was 25\Nuntil I was about 37.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:37.75,0:06:40.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:06:40.20,0:06:41.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I kept painting.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:41.58,0:06:45.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was trying to figure out where\NI fit in and what my voice would be,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:45.78,0:06:54.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and in my mind I was like, "Well, I don't \Nsee just paintings of Black people just being Black."
Dialogue: 0,0:06:54.04,0:06:57.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like, we're just here,\Nwe're living our lives,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:57.51,0:07:00.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,hanging out, just\Nbeing ourselves.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:08.39,0:07:20.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.70,0:07:27.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Post grad school, I run\Ninto this model who was, like,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:27.34,0:07:30.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a six-one,\Nyoung Black woman,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:30.80,0:07:35.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I asked her if she would\Ncome and allow me to take a picture of her.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:35.29,0:07:40.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She had on a pink shirt that had\Nwhite polka dots on it and a big bow tie.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:40.68,0:07:44.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She's standing there with her\Narms dropped down to her side,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:44.46,0:07:48.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,her gaze meeting the viewer,\Nand she looks a little bit
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.59,0:07:51.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,uncomfortable, a\Nlittle bit awkward.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:51.46,0:07:53.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She, in that moment,\Nstood there as, like,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:53.08,0:07:55.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,everything that\NI wanted to represent.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:55.19,0:07:59.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She was fully herself in this\Nout-of-the-box kind of way.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:00.44,0:08:03.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That painting was a seminal\Npiece for me because it really
Dialogue: 0,0:08:03.48,0:08:07.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,solidified in my mind,\Nlike, what exactly I was doing.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:07.31,0:08:13.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I wanted to make images\Nthat told stories like this.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:15.26,0:08:18.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I started finding the\Nmodels that I wanted to find,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:18.22,0:08:21.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,creating these different\Nnarratives and scenarios that
Dialogue: 0,0:08:21.54,0:08:24.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,wanted to see\Nexist in the world.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:24.07,0:08:26.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:08:28.72,0:08:30.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] Hi, guys!
Dialogue: 0,0:08:31.61,0:08:32.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,— Hi!
Dialogue: 0,0:08:32.39,0:08:33.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,— How are you?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:33.62,0:08:34.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Very nice to meet you.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:34.84,0:08:36.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] Nice to meet you.\N— Nice to meet you too.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:36.49,0:08:37.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] Oh...
Dialogue: 0,0:08:37.54,0:08:39.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] Hi.\N— Hi, very nice to meet you.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:39.07,0:08:41.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] Nice to meet you.\NThank you for doing this.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:41.56,0:08:43.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] You're a medium?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:43.25,0:08:44.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,— Yep, yes.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:44.52,0:08:46.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] All right,\Nlet's head down.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:46.08,0:08:48.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I just gotta get a visual of\Nwhat this is gonna look like.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:48.47,0:08:49.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I kinda...
Dialogue: 0,0:08:50.42,0:08:54.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My process is that I find\Nthe painting, like...
Dialogue: 0,0:08:54.04,0:08:56.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know, we're gonna do\Na lot of different poses.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:56.06,0:08:56.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,— Cool.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:57.99,0:09:01.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] Let's give it a\Nshot and see how it goes.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:01.22,0:09:02.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,— Like this?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:04.38,0:09:06.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then just like that.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:06.04,0:09:07.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] Yup.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:07.11,0:09:09.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then move this foot up\Njust a couple of inches.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:09.11,0:09:11.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,— I did.\N[Amy] Oh, there we go.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:17.37,0:09:18.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[beep]
Dialogue: 0,0:09:19.62,0:09:22.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Okay, Raj, look\Nat him in his eyes.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:24.65,0:09:27.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[beep]\N[camera snap]
Dialogue: 0,0:09:27.33,0:09:30.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪ curious ambient music ♪
Dialogue: 0,0:09:30.36,0:09:33.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Photography is the\Nbeginning of the painting.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:33.96,0:09:39.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's how I begin to search\Nfor what I want in the work.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:40.30,0:09:44.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I let the models feel their\Nway through what's happening,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:44.56,0:09:48.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then each pose,\NI try to
Dialogue: 0,0:09:48.68,0:09:52.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,adjust to find exactly what I'm\Nlooking for,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:52.83,0:09:54.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what the painting is going to be like.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:54.45,0:09:55.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What is it going to feel like?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:55.86,0:09:58.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Are the colors right?\NAre positions right?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:58.20,0:09:59.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,— All right, we're shooting.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:01.08,0:10:05.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I rely on the organic in my work; like, I try not to over-plan,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:05.39,0:10:10.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I just go in with my antennas up, looking for the right moments
Dialogue: 0,0:10:10.00,0:10:14.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and waiting for that synergy to build between the models.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:15.56,0:10:21.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I leave the photo session with \Nexactly the image that I'm going to work
Dialogue: 0,0:10:21.24,0:10:24.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with, so it's almost like it's my\Nsketchbook.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:24.36,0:10:25.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,— That's amazing.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:26.10,0:10:26.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's good.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:26.66,0:10:27.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[laughter]
Dialogue: 0,0:10:27.54,0:10:31.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,— This is perfect 'cause\Nthe way your noses are, everything is great.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:31.08,0:10:32.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:10:32.94,0:10:38.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] I have been looking at a lot of\Nphotographs of iconic American moments
Dialogue: 0,0:10:39.06,0:10:44.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and reconsidering them and reimagining them.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:44.28,0:10:48.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so I came across the\Nimage from the V Day kiss,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:48.53,0:10:51.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then I thought, "It would\Nbe wonderful if I could recreate
Dialogue: 0,0:10:51.21,0:10:53.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this image but with two men."
Dialogue: 0,0:10:54.66,0:10:57.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When I think about who's going\Nto be represented in my work,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:57.83,0:10:59.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think it speaks to the moment.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:03.96,0:11:06.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Woman Newscaster] This morning, the\Nfamily of a Kentucky woman shot
Dialogue: 0,0:11:06.69,0:11:09.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and killed by police\Nis demanding answers,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:09.47,0:11:12.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,filing a wrongful death\Nlawsuit against three officers,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:12.80,0:11:16.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Breonna Taylor's family claiming\Nofficers blindly fired more than
Dialogue: 0,0:11:16.94,0:11:19.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,20 shots into her apartment two months ago.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:19.81,0:11:22.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,On March 13th, three\Nofficers entered...
Dialogue: 0,0:11:22.20,0:11:25.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Amy] Breonna Taylor was\Nan all-American girl from an
Dialogue: 0,0:11:25.00,0:11:27.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all-American family.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:28.19,0:11:31.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Her mom told me that she was a\Ngirly girl
Dialogue: 0,0:11:31.25,0:11:33.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and she liked to get dressed up.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:33.70,0:11:36.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it was really heartbreaking\Nfor me to realize that it was
Dialogue: 0,0:11:36.84,0:11:38.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,also a love story,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:38.95,0:11:43.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that her boyfriend at the time\Nwas going to propose to her,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:43.36,0:11:45.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like, within weeks\Nof that happening,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:45.40,0:11:48.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so then I wanted to\Ninclude the engagement ring.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:50.22,0:11:57.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And all of these things clued me\Nin to how I felt like she would
Dialogue: 0,0:11:57.16,0:12:01.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,possibly want to be represented\Non the cover of a magazine.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:01.26,0:12:04.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪ emotional music ♪
Dialogue: 0,0:12:04.14,0:12:07.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I painted it for her family so that when \Nthey look at this image,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:07.84,0:12:09.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they see the whole story.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:09.87,0:12:13.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think that we deserved a\Nwhole picture of her life.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:15.13,0:12:19.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After the cover came out, the\Nwork was co-acquired by her
Dialogue: 0,0:12:19.56,0:12:21.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,hometown museum,\Nwhich is The Speed,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:21.72,0:12:26.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but then also the Smithsonian\NAfrican-American Museum of History and Culture.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:26.45,0:12:30.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I thought that it was important\Nfor it to be in line-of-sight of the
Dialogue: 0,0:12:30.41,0:12:33.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,government in Washington DC.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:50.40,0:12:56.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I just started having the space\Nto make paintings this large.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:56.64,0:13:01.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's a dream come true; it's the\Ndream that I had when I was in high school
Dialogue: 0,0:13:01.14,0:13:06.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when I realized that artists had big\Nstudios and made huge paintings.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:07.20,0:13:11.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sometimes, it feels surreal to\Nwalk in here and just see the work
Dialogue: 0,0:13:11.28,0:13:15.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that I've made and see\Nthe work that I'm making.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:17.40,0:13:22.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For most of my life, it was\Nsomething that I was striving for.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:24.48,0:13:29.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪ uplifting ethereal music ♪
Dialogue: 0,0:13:56.88,0:14:00.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When I look back at my life,\Nit seems fairly orchestrated,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:00.00,0:14:02.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,these kind of moments\Nthat push you forward.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:02.56,0:14:04.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I just feel lucky that I\Nlistened to my heart and
Dialogue: 0,0:14:04.77,0:14:07.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,listened to whatever\Nmy intuition said;
Dialogue: 0,0:14:07.29,0:14:09.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was like, "I'm gonna do that."
Dialogue: 0,0:14:09.18,0:14:11.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was told by\Nsomebody in my life,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:11.07,0:14:14.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Don't listen to criticism\Nand don't listen to praise.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:14.01,0:14:16.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Just do what you do."
Dialogue: 0,0:14:21.30,0:14:31.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪♪♪
Dialogue: 0,0:14:34.86,0:14:39.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,♪ ethereal ambient music ♪