The Idea of an Essay, Volume 3

108 The Idea of an Essay: Volume 3 This sight line calls the viewer’s eye to move down to the tallest and presumably oldest child who is between the hands of the two parents. His arm then guides the viewer down to the two smallest children. The second smallestlargest child, however, is back to back with the tallest child. While he is still physically connected to the family, he is off to the side. This family is quite literally all joined together, and yet one can see the tension in the way the second largest child is hunched over, pointing away from the other members. This indicates the strife that occurs in even the closest knit of families. By unifying the arrangement of this piece and interconnecting all individuals, Shaheed is showing the oneness and tight knit nature of this family. The unity of this family group in context of this exhibit exemplifies the importance of the African family in the development of African American culture. Even though many families are not as well rounded or connected as this one, the idea of family is still very important in culture. The idea of community and family is illustrated carefully in this sculpture.. Traditional African culture and African American culture are radically different. Yet, without the first there would not be the latter. One theme that is carried over through numerous generations and a long journey is the importance of the family unit. In The Family, sculpted by Omar Shaheed, the unity of a family is reflected as one of the most important qualities. One only has to take a walk through the exhibit Beyond the Roots of the Ghetto to see the complexity and relevance of familial relationships. One of the first sculptures that can be seen is a mother holding her child, also with those mystifying gold, empty faces. So next time you are around Wilberforce go into this museum. Make your way to the somewhat dark, very intriguing exhibit full of dull limestone or bronze sculptures and brightly colored drawings. Meander your way between this mother and child, all the way to the back right corner where you will meet The Family.