These objects give you some clues. They have a history and they tell a story.

Lovell likes to collect objects and materials and uses them to make art about the lives and histories of African Americans. He makes drawings from old photographs of people like these men that he often finds in antique stores or flea markets. As an African American, Lovell thinks of the people in the photos like his own ancestors, or family history. He chose to draw these men because he liked how they looked in their suits, and thought they looked proud of who they were.

See those shoes? They are turned over so that you can only look at the soles or the backs of them. It’s up to you to imagine who the shoes belonged to and where they might have walked.

Guess what! The box on the floor is for people to put their feet on when they are getting their shoes shined. By putting the box there, the artist has included you in this piece. It is placed in front of you, to make it seem like you might be the person waiting to have your shoes shined. He also wants you to pay more attention to the people who shine shoes.