American Costume

What intially appears to be a drawing or a print deriving from an incised plate or a marked surface is in actuality a direct impression of the artist's own body with thumbprints. Addressing race and identity in this image, Hammons depicts an individual clearly not of European descent. The distorted facial features and the distinctive textures of the hair and dress imbue the portrait with an exaggerated "primitiveness," which engage widely held stereotypes. The juxataposition of the title with the image creates a tension, speaking to the then expanding definition of what being an American meant and who it included.