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Collage of five diverse artworks from the Hammer Museum Collections side by side. From left to right: 1) Contemporary painting of two embracing figures with surreal elements. 2) Post-impressionist style painting of trees with vibrant blues and greens. 3) Black and white illustration of a face with intricate patterns. 4) Japanese woodblock print style image of a figure in a checkered robe. 5) Photograph of a couple dancing, the woman in a black dress and the man in white

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Digital Archive Now Dig This!: Art and Black Los Angeles 1960–1980
Art Joe Overstreet, The New Jemima
The New Jemima, by Joe Overstreet, 1964

Joe Overstreet, Artist
The New Jemima , 1964, 1970

Medium
Acrylic on fabric over plywood construction
Dimensions
102 3/8 x 60 3/4 x 17 1/4 in. (260 x 154.3 x 43.8 cm)
Credit Line
The Menil Collection, Houston. Photo courtesy of the Menil Collection

With The New Jemima—a large polychrome box—Overstreet explored different aspects of his painting practice as well as pop art. Here the artist has transformed the negative—albeit popular—image of a subservient Aunt Jemima into an empowered figure, wielding a machine gun with pancakes flying through the air like bullets. The artist lived and worked in the San Francisco area and published Beatitudes Magazine during his time in California.