Tyrone Geter

With an innovative perspective and commanding presence, this brilliantly composed self-portrait by the contemporary artist Tyrone Geter depicts a formative moment in his Lynn, Massachusetts studio in the 1970s. Born in Alabama, Geter studied art at Ohio University, where he became one of the first Black students to earn a Masters of Fine Arts in painting. He describes encountering the professional art world for the first time after moving to the Boston area, writing, “Thousands of artists lived and worked in Boston.

At the time, I could have easily been one of the worst artists in Boston. I had received my wake up call and it was neither quiet nor gentle. I spent the next five years in the studio working and learning.” The resolute expression in his eyes, turned upward to meet the viewer’s gaze, suggests Geter’s determination to become an artist. Seen from above, his studio is full of magazine clippings, palettes, and sketchy, unfinished works that evoke his creative process. On the drafting table, a work-in-progress showing the brown-skinned, round face of a child (a composite of different children that he depicted at the time) anticipates his lifelong interest in creating powerful portraits of young Black people.

Soon after completing this painting, he moved to Nigeria, which deepened his understanding of the African diaspora and also greatly shifted his style. This rare self-portrait captures the significance of the Boston-area art world to the development of his future career. Boston Museum Of Fine Art