1973

The Escape

American (born France), born 1950

In The Escape, Michael Kelly Williams captured the energy and enthusiasm of a childhood tricycle ride in summer. Using the potential of woodcut to create areas of deep, saturated black tones, Williams emphasized the uniformity of the block apartment buildings of Detroit, where the artist grew up. A fence bisects the middle and backgrounds, accentuating the distance between the peddling child and the city from which they attempt to escape. The rough lines of the woodcut suggest forward momentum, and the child looks out, back to the buildings, suggesting that the escape is ongoing.