Untitled (Stranger in the Village/Hands #1): Glenn Ligon
Dublin Core
Creator
Contributor
Date
Description
Glenn Ligon's "Stranger in the Village #1" (1990) is a neon artwork that directly quotes James Baldwin's powerful 1953 essay, "Stranger in the Village." The glowing white neon text spells out a key excerpt from Baldwin's reflections on being the first Black man in a small, isolated Swiss village.
The artwork poignantly captures the experience of racial alienation and the psychological impact of being perceived as the perpetual "other." By presenting Baldwin's insightful words in the stark and public medium of neon, Ligon amplifies the text's enduring relevance and forces viewers to confront the persistent realities of racial difference and the burden of otherness. The work is a concise yet potent commentary on identity, perception, and the historical and ongoing complexities of race.
The artwork poignantly captures the experience of racial alienation and the psychological impact of being perceived as the perpetual "other." By presenting Baldwin's insightful words in the stark and public medium of neon, Ligon amplifies the text's enduring relevance and forces viewers to confront the persistent realities of racial difference and the burden of otherness. The work is a concise yet potent commentary on identity, perception, and the historical and ongoing complexities of race.
Subject
Racism against Black people, Racism in art
Language
English
Type
Prints
Format
Relation
Source
Rights
The student curator has determined that the use of the following material qualifies as fair use under Section 107 of the Copyright Act for the purpose of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research.
Publisher
Rights Holder
© 2025 Glenn Ligon
Accrual Method
The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection Gift
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Physical Dimensions
38.5" x 50"
Files
Collection
Citation
Ligon, Glenn, 1960-, “Untitled (Stranger in the Village/Hands #1): Glenn Ligon,” Mississippi State University Libraries, accessed July 14, 2026, https://msstate-exhibits.libraryhost.com/items/show/3008.
Item Relations
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