Fragmented Edifice 

"Fragmented Edifice: Exploring Social Hierarchies through Abstraction" is a section of the original painting created by Joni Lee Blackman and Torkwase Dyson in 2018. This section view of the painting zooms in on a specific area, providing a more detailed and focused exploration of the theme of social stratification in urban communities.

 

The use of black in the background serves to emphasize the concept of social hierarchies and division in urban communities. Black is a color associated with power, sophistication, and formality.

 

The stacked levels of the residential buildings are a representation of the physical division and separation that exists in urban communities. The buildings are separated by floors and walls, which serve to separate people of different social and economic statuses. By portraying the buildings in an abstract form, the artist emphasizes the artificiality of these divisions and suggests that they are constructed by human society rather than being inherent in the natural world.

 

The abstracted human figures depicted in the painting also contribute to the overall theme of social stratification. The figures are all drawn in a single continuous line, which suggests that they are interconnected and that their actions and movements are part of a larger system. However, their different colors and positions within the painting suggest that they are also distinct individuals with different social and economic status. The figures engaged in daily activities, such as walking and talking, suggest the constant movement and interaction within the urban community,