MoMA's One-Way Ticket: Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series-A Must See

There is so much to take in from this expansive exhibit that attempting a succinct overview is futile and would not do it justice. Suffice to say, this mulit-media show is a profound, insistent experience.  The 60 panels from Lawrence's entire Migration series made in 1941 are assembled.  These paintings would be significant standing on their own. The momentous historic storytelling and artistic genius provide a powerful & painful narrative of the poverty & persecution that drove a mass migration of rural, southern blacks to northern urban cities seeking refuge.  The desolate, sombre paintings depict a vivid exodus of the desperate millions seeking solace in the north only to find parallel conditions of racial segregation & oppression. The somber, dark colored palette of brown, black & green evoke a dire agricultural existence and a feeling of displacement in urban environments.  The lines of segregation and oppression are evident in both the north and south.  Lawrence's faceless, figurative paintings are flat with prominent linear shapes.  The strong compositions draw you in and keep you at a distance simultaneously. Blind subjects are a recurring image in many of his works.  The millions who pulled up and left were oblivious to the harshness that pervaded in the north.  The millions living in the cities chose to remain blind to the plight of the migrants except to exploit cheap labor.  Lady Justice is posed as blind which is blatant lie.  The timelyness of this multi-media exhibit comes at a tipping point in our nation. Other important artists, musicians, writers whose brilliance contributed to the artistic renaissance of this epoch are also included.  The black/white photos paints an irrefutable reminder of the times.  ONE-WAY TICKET requires multiple viewings and earnest contemplation.