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Painting 2015.101.1
"Read My Lips Bin Laden"
Painting 2015.101.1

"Read My Lips Bin Laden"

DateEarly 21st century
Artist Binford "Benny" Carter
OriginAmerica, North Carolina, Mayodan
MediumOil on panel
DimensionsFramed: 124.5 x 67.3cm (49 x 26 1/2in.)
Credit LineGift of Roddy and Sally Moore
Object number2015.101.1,A&B
DescriptionA scene of New York City depicting a black Statue of Liberty in the center foreground, the city skyline filling most of the background. Above the stylized scene, the sky is filled with stars and planets. Below, the river is filled with boats and the highway with taxi cabs.
Label TextBinford "Benny" Carter began painting after he was laid off as a supervisor of a copper mill in Pine Hall, NC in 1991. He originally painted scenes of rural North Carolina in a primitive style, but his renderings of New York City following September 11th, 2001 have become his most collected works. His pieces often contain polictical or religious allegories, and a favorite theme appears to be the New York City skyline and waterfront, often including the Statue of Liberty.
ProvenanceFrom the collection of the artist, Binford "Benny" Carter [1943-2014] (Mayodan, NC), to the previous owners, Roddy and Sally Moore (Ferrum, VA), to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation as a gift in 2015.