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Artistic Splendor: Significant Works from the Thrivent Art Collection,

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Sculpture by late renowned artist Richard Hunt featured outside Thrivent's downtown Minneapolis office.
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Rico Gatson
American, b. 1966
Ornette, 2017
Colored pencil and photograph on paper
© 2017 Rico Gatson

Confidently holding his saxophone, Ornette Coleman (1930-2015) is shown as the origin of multi-colored rays of energy. Coleman was a pioneer of the free jazz movement, his lasting influence found in breaking away from American standards, bending the rules of harmony and rhythm. The beams give the impression of energy radiating from the musician, echoing the explosive freedom of Coleman’s sound. Rico Gatson’s Icons series innovatively honors famous African Americans whose cultural impact far exceeds their physical presence. The tiny scale of the portrait here reinforces this idea: Ornette may be one small figure, but his influence is vast. By visually amplifying Coleman’s force rather than his celebrity, the work becomes less a portrait of a single musician and more a tribute to the liberating power of his trailblazing music.