The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 4, 2026

A vertically oriented, black-and-white screenprint depicts a silhouetted, dark-skinned figure facing right, holding a thin cigarette to their lips. Thick, textured ink fills the composition, except for a central, triangular wash of light. Within this bright area, block letters spell out "LET'S HAVE A TALK." The grainy surface creates a stark contrast between the deep black foreground and the luminous background, highlighting the figure's profile against the light.

Let's Have a Talk

1992

Adrian Piper

(American, b. 1948)
America
screenprint
Sheet: 65.9 x 66 cm (25 15/16 x 26 in.); Image: 52 x 36.5 cm (20 1/2 x 14 3/8 in.)
Gift of Linda and Jack Lissauer, M.D. to commemorate The Print Club of Cleveland's centennial, 2019 2019.73.8
© Adrian Piper
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Many of the artists who contributed to the portfolio 10: Artist as Catalyst exhibited at the Alternative Museum.

Description

This print belongs to a portfolio published to support the Alternative Museum, an experimental New York exhibition venue from 1975 through 2000. The space aimed to address inequity in the art world by hosting progressive exhibitions of contemporary art. The year this work was made, public funds were cut, leading artists to rally support by collaborating on a series of original screenprints.
  • Jack and Linda Lissauer, Shaker Heights, OH
    March 4, 2019
    the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Let's Have a Talk|url=false|author=Adrian Piper|year=1992|access-date=04 September 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2019.73.8