Further explore the exhibition’s theme of semi-visibility through a slow-looking exercise related to this work.

Transcript
Narrator: "J’Accuse! No. 3," from 1965, is a black-and-white drawing on paper with crayon and charcoal by Charles White. Measuring just over 2 feet in diameter, its circular shape creates a unique frame for the composition, dominated by swirling lines, like plumes of smoke gathering and contained within a crystal ball or snow globe.

These swirling lines cover the entire surface like whitecaps, seafoam cresting over dark waves. White creates depth and movement by varying textures: some lines are faint, some are smudged, some are thicker, and others wispy. The swirls ebb and flow, gathering tightly in areas where the white is more concentrated toward the upper center of the drawing.

The rough waters across the surface contrast with a serene face nestled along the bottom-right edge of the drawing. The face measures about 6 inches long and a few inches wide, with soft feminine features, high cheekbones, full lips, and dark skin. They are in profile facing toward the left with their head tilted slightly upward. The eye that is visible to us is nearly closed in a tranquil expression.

The face blends into the background, with forehead, ear, and neck merging with the swirling lines. Perhaps the waves represent a part of this person, wavy flowing hair, or an unsettled spirit beneath a serene exterior.

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