Photo credit: Chelsea Lauren/Rex/Shuttershock
Sean “Diddy” Combs just made a history making investment in Black art with his $21.1 million acquisition of Kerry James Marshall’s painting, “Past Times.”
The well-known African American Chicago artist’s long-time gallerist, Jack Shainman, confirmed that the hip-hop mogul was the buyer, telling the New York Times: “I know that this work has found a home in a collection with purpose and an eye toward preserving legacy — that of Sean Combs, and that means a lot.”
Diddy’s purchase “is thought to be the highest price ever paid for an artwork by a living African American artist,” according to ArtNet News.
Congratulations Kerry James Marshall for continuing to make history. And congratulations @diddy for an amazing acquisition, we are excited about your plans for the future of the painting. https://t.co/xD8VxvqWzz
— Jack Shainman (@JackShainman) May 18, 2018
In 1997, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (who owns McCormick Place) bought Marshall’s painting for $25,000 dollars. As stated on Marshall’s Instagram, “After completing the Garden Project series, Marshall painted “Past Times, which moves into the shared public space of the city. High-rise towers appear in the distance, but the focal point is an urban pastoral scene, filled with green grass and blue water. The African American figures—all dressed in white—are engaged in various forms of recreation.
The painting depicts leisurely pastimes, but the title points to the past. In this respect, the perfect scene might suggest a history that hasn’t happened yet or desire come to life. The family in the foreground stares back at the viewer as if just interrupted. The songs on their radios suggest two divergent outlooks: a runaway imagination and a reality check—’got my money on my mind.'”
Check out Marshall’s painting below.
Thank you Mr. Marshall for using your gifts and talents to highlight Black life and history – and thank you Diddy for helping preserve the work and legacy of Kerry James Marshall.