Free, White and 21

In Pindell’s poignant work Free White and 21 (1980) the artist uses performance and caricature to narrate her personal experiences of racism. The film alternates between Pindell recounting her stories and a caricature of a young white woman who rebukes Pindell for her ungrateful and paranoid statements. In criticizing the expectations and stereotypes imposed on a female black artist Pindell’s work can also been seen as a contribution to a feminist debate. Though Pindell’s body of work mostly consists of painting that explores texture colour and structures this video work stands out as being a seminal work in her career. Free White and 21 can be found in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art New York.