20th Century Black Artists PDF

Double Consciousness and WEB DuBois What's happening around the 1920's? The Jazz Age Prohibition The Great Migration The New Negro Movement Alain Locke continues to be foundational keeper of African American Art. He continues to write and voice h...

Double Consciousness and WEB DuBois What's happening around the 1920's? The Jazz Age Prohibition The Great Migration The New Negro Movement Alain Locke continues to be foundational keeper of African American Art. He continues to write and voice his thoughts on the content of African American art, and how it should be used as a catalyst to promote African Art He believed the New Nego Artist representing African Art forms was comparable to the classical art of ancient Greece and Rome. WEB De Bois, a cultural theorist writes a dynamic book, The Souls of Black Folk, which is introduction to his theory of double consciousness: "Double consciousness was the source of psychological and emotional angst for many who sought ways to mediate two cultural heritages and two environments." (Patton 106) With these two leaders, creating a development of Black critical theory, Black artists began creating under these pretenses, creating work that lived in two worlds to go along with their double consciousness, but also continue to represent the meaning of Black Art. James E. Purdy W.E.B. DuBois, 1907 Aaron Douglas Discarded realism for a more abstraction He did the illustration for a book titled God's Trombone, which was a seven negro sermon's in verse. The book's purpose was to document the religious oral traditions of the African American community. Aaron Douglas illustrations was the foundation for his style of painting which was to follow. He focused on Egyptian forms, a sort of language and communication through the depiction of the black body and experience through figures and storytelling. Silhouetted in profile Use of single color from light to dark  Aaron Douglas Crucifixion 1927  Aaron Douglas Harriet Tubman 1931 Palmer Hayden Started out creating seascapes and landscapes In Fetiche et Fleurs, he combined African aesthetics with depiction of a traditional still life. He avoided predictable abstract designs African in order to appeal to both the standard of African art representing the new negro, but to also appeal to a wider audience, and pay homage to westernized skill and form. This appealed to the "cultured middle class" Painted many urban scenes of black life While still falling under the folk art style, he used exaggerated expressions of his figures to depict liveliness His depiction of urban scenes was considered politically liberal and pertained to middle class sensibilities Midsummer night in Harlem 1938 a. The style mimics the late 19th century Euro modernism style and also serves as a parody of Aaron Douglas work  Palmer Hayden Midsummer Night in Harlem, 1936  Palmer Hayden Madonna of the Stoop, 1940  Archibald Motley Portrayed mostly family and friends and women He was curious about skin color, class, etc., and often depicted women of fair skin and middle class This served as a "Visual rebuttal" moving away from the stereotypical image of Black women as "Mammies" or "Jezebels" The Old Snuff Dipper (1928) was one of the few works by Motley that depicted portraiture from the rural south. He excelled in portraiture in Chicago as a result of it being outside of the south. The midwest had more control over what type of Black art they wanted to make. Motley began painting scenes of African American Life on Chicago's Bronzeville Saturday Night 1935 His style features compressed objects and figures, with flowing contours The floor is almost parallel to the painting - all features which make a suggestion to MODERNISM There is a rhythmic pattern created by the figures The contrasting light and dark tones and dominant hues of red serves as an ode to the jazz like atmosphere Archibald Motley Bronzeville By Night, 1949 Archibald Motley Carnival, 1937 Archibald Motley The First One Hundred Years, 1963-72 Hale Woodruff 1900 - 1980 Woodruff began his career as an editorial cartoonist and graphic artist He began exploring abstract expressionism by paying homage to abstract expressionist painter Paul Cezanne and was at the precipice of the art form along with Bearden and Charles Alston In 1936, while teaching at the Atlanta University complex, Hale A. Woodruff won a grant which enabled him to travel to Mexico City to assist Diego Rivera, which influenced his style and becoming a muralist The mexican style can be characterized by the following carefully modelled forms the clustering of figures Exaggerated motions Vibrant colors and color pallete He moves to NY in 1946 and begins exclusively exploring abstraction FAP 1935 The Federal Art Ptoject (FAP) was established under the new deal created by president Franklin D Roosevelt in 1935. This movement was important because it acted as a morale booster to the public, created a sense of patriotism Artists were compensented for making a certain amount of artworks These works were usually displayed in government buildings and public spaces for American consumption Augusta Savage Augusta Savage focused on sculpture and worked in plaster She became the first Black artist to be elected to the National Association of Women Painter and Sculptors Her focus was on the depiction of the black form through realism Her piece Gamin (1930) was a depiction of her nephew, and served as a representation of the purity of Black life. The Harp (1939) was inspired by the poem by James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing", The negro national anthem. Augusta Savage Gamin, 1929 Augusta Savage Portrait Head of John Henry, 1940  Augusta Savage Lift Every Voice and Sing, 1939 Richmond Barthe 1901 - 1989 Sculpted free standing and portrait busts of African, Caribbean, and African American Barthe had an interest in dance, and his work Fera Benga, a depiction of a famous Senegalese dancer from France Portrays sensuality, which was rare for the time, as well as movement, and classical style In his technique, he breaks in the Bronze surface to reflect light, which enhances the realism in the figure He created busts in plaster and Bronze Richmond Barthe Feral Benga, 1935 Richmond Barthe Stevedore, 1937 Sargeant Claude Johnson Claude's work and style fell into the category of Folk Art, along with artists such as William Edmonson He was from the Bay Area in California He gained in interest in art from his aunt, artist May Howard Johnson His focus and style was centered around a art deco ceramic ware He created low reliefs with delineating contours Some characteristics in his work are crispness in his form and most of his figures alluded to African masks Forever Free Chester 1931  Sergeant Claude Johnson Chester, 1931  Sergeant Claude Johnson Head of a Boy, 1928 William Edmonson 1863 - 1951 Edmonson was born and based in Nashville, Tennesee He began carving ang creating art at age 60 out of small gravestones from abandoned commercial limestone The light and shadows catching on the edge of his shallow reliefs create the effect of a line drawn upon the stone surface, suggesting a form just barely freed from its one block He believed his practice and motivation to create came directly from God He says, "This here stone and all those out there in the yard come from God. It's the work in Jesus speaking His mind. I must be one of His disciples. These here is miracles I can do. Can't nobody do these but me. I can't help carving. I just does it. It's like when you're leaving here you're going home. Well, I know I'm going to carve. Jesus has planted the seed of carving in me."  William Edmonson Bess and Joe, 1940  William Edmonson Martha and Mary, n.d.  William Edmonson Untitled (angel), 1940 1930: America Scene Painting Folk Art started to increase and make a resurgence in the 1930's It gained popularity for being innocently expressive It stood for the era of the common man, a simpler time It's value was it's representation of being early American, but still appealed to modern sensibilities Critics of this time favored folk art because of it's depiction of what an artist not only saw, but what they felt. Horace Pippin 1888 - 1946 Pippin fought in WW1 and lost mobility in his right arm and taught himself to paint He began by painting African American historical events, biblical themes, and landscapes. He is known for his symmetrical composition and delineating forms, stark colors, and painting with flat colors There is an overall simplicity in his work, but his symmetrical composition offers a clean translation to the viewer Horace Pippin John Brown Going to His Hanging, 1942 Horace Pippin Interior, 1944 Horace Pippin Park Bench, 1946 David Driskell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdRQ4vHzzMY&t=43s Abstract Art Movement 1930 – Early 1940's Art critic and author Clement Greenberg explored the thoughts about abstraction being the absolute in art. He says, "painting WAS the medium for abstraction." He argued for the "art for arts sake" African American artists who were attracted to abstraction tried to find the middle ground between abstraction and realism, not relinquishing the representational image Some characteristics of abstraction are Flat Picture planes, obvious and visible brushstrokes, and colors should be pure Norman Lewis 1909 - 1979 One of the first explorations of abstraction through figurative painting is Norman Lewis He soon ventures away from realism, saying he saw it as, "limitations which could come under the name 'African Idiom' 'Negro Idiom' or social painting" He starts to explore abstract expressionism in the 1950's after heavily studying figurative abstraction. He often gave his work long and detailed title, since he believe it was important to give the painting more context without a representational image. Norman Lewis Girl With Yellow Hat, 1936 Norman Lewis Untitled, 1947 Norman Lewis Untitled (Jazz Club), 1945 Norman Lewis 19 Street Musicians, 1945 Jacob Lawrence 1917 - 2000 He studied Alain Locke' writings and mexican muralists like Diego Rivera At age 23, he had perfected his style and made the Migration Series, which consisted 60 panels, a narrative based on the personal experience of the artist during the Great Migration He called his personal style "Dynamic Cubism" His reductive style can still be found in most folk paintings, but still abides by the criteria of abstraction because of the flat picture plane, and visible color Critics viewing the work believed he was self taught because of his style Each panel's caption, is a narrative about aspirations, economic success and perseverance.  Jacob Lawrence Panel 23, The Migration Series, 1941  Jacob Lawrence Migration Series, 1941  Jacob Lawrence Steelworkers, 1946  Jacob Lawrence The Visitors, 1959 Expressionism and Surrealism 1940's – 1950's was a time where artists painted what they wanted for their own gratification. This was either in a realistic or semi-abstraction, to capture the viewer with picture but adding a subjective, freer response. They wanted the viewer to have more of a voice or say what the painting meant to them. The difference between this period and the periods of previous times were of message and style. Figurative art in the 1930's – 40's brought hope and optimism. Expressionism and Surrealism of the 1940's - 1950's was about highlighting the pessimism and overall darkness artists, and the country was experiencing at the time. Surrealism had two criterias: a highly realistic dream-like image or a highly abstract image loosely drawn or painted through improvisation. Abstract Expressionism Abstract Expressionism demonstrated an even more deconstructed form on painting that encouraged freedom of artistry and establishing the relationship between the artist and the craft. Early abstract expressionism began in the 1940's. Hale Woodruff, Romare Bearden, and Charles Alston were some of the first artist to pioneer this form in the Black community. The form h ad a resurgence of a second generation from 1961. The act of painting itself was a relationship between the artist and their materials. It was less about telling story and more about using the paint itself to EXPRESS feeling or content. Hence the name, abstract expressionism. Some criteria of this period is thicker brush strokes, paint heavily laid, vivid colors, emotion in technique, moving away from realism and representational forms. Some artists represented in this category are Norman Lewis and Herbert Gentry. Gentry specifically started out with Expressionism and often portrayed aspects of mental instability in his work through his technique with intense color, surrealist style, and Freudian psychoanalysis. This period was particularly hard from African American artists, as they were rarely being exhibited in museums and galleries, despite painting in the style of popularity of the time. Abstract Expressionism: marked by an attention to surface qualities of painting. Paint viscosity Monumental canvases improvisation Beauford Delaney Expressionist artists operated in both white and black art worlds In 1940's perfected his respective style. Brilliant expressionistic color to depict cityscapes and portraits He was fascinated with urban street scenes Uses impasto, which is a style of painting that uses thick ridges of paint which makes the work more expressive Throughout his career, he continued to explore expressionism and abstract expressionism, and often border-lined surrealism as well. Beauford Delaney Greenwich Village, 1945 Beauford Delaney Can Fire in the Park, 1946 Eldzier Cortor 1916 - 2015 Established his career in Chicago He was one of the few African Americans who painted the female nude in the tradition of the European masters To him, representing the black woman for represented the Black race, continuance of life When depicting women nudes, he changes the soft voluptuous form into an elongated elegant form, which is an ode to the modernism in African iconology. Eldzier Corotor The Room No. V, 1948 Eldzier Corotor The Room No. VI, 1948  Eldzier Corotor Southern Gate, 1942-1943 Romare Bearden 1911 - 1988 Bearden was a self-taught artist and sustained his career by his incredible adaptability and exploration of different artistic styles. He began with American Scene, transitioned to abstract figuration, and ultimately ended with his infamous collage paintings. He experimented with different mediums as well, from watercolor, oil, prints, public art, and of course collage By 1948, he was one of the most discussed modernists in America In 1964, he was apart of a group called the Spiral and was motivated to do a project experimenting with collage. They denied him, but continued with the idea on his own. The style was an instant success because of it's perfection of mending together figuration and abstraction His subject matter now focused on African Art, AA quilts, and jazz Shallow picture space Figures appearing like African sculptures Jazz like rhythm through juxtaposition Bearden had successfully realized Locke's vision: "African art as the formal foundation for his collages, and African American folk culture—strip quilt and jazz—as the subject- matter and the basis for compositional design." Romare Bearden Factory Workers, 1942 Romare Bearden Young Students, 1964 Romare Bearden Mother and Child, 1971 Romare Bearden Louisiana-Serenade, 1984 Late 20th Century African American Ralph Ellison's book, The Invisible Man hits the stands in the 1960's. The book follows the story of a young black man's journey manuvering through life while facing racial struggles, and society that refuses to see him as a human being. Ellison writes, "I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me... That invisibility... occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with whom I come in contact. a matter of the construction of their inner eye, those eyes with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality. (Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man, 1965) The book set the tone and exemplified the feeling of most black people during the 1960's - 1970's. There were civil rights issues taking places during this time such as: Brown Vs. Board of Education Martin Luther King Jr's activism Assassination of Malcolm X Black Panther Party inn 1968 The black nationalism of the 1920s and '30s, when Marcus Garvey called for black pride, black power, and pan Africanism was rekindled, and was now fueled by subsequent struggles of the 1940s and '50s for equality in the workplace and economic opportunity. The Spiral group, a group of 16 artists who all focused on politics and aesthetics in their practice, no longer wanted to be labeled as Black artists, but still wanted to fulfill the need of issues occuring in their communities. Black art needed a critical language after Locke passed. Critics categorized art of this period in two categories Realist in style and political in content Neo- Africanism: a modern interpretation of traditional african art. Post Modernism Post Modernism 1980 – 1993 is characterized and explained by art critics to be a movement with various movements, and open to many interpretations. It's the art movement we are currently in, and ultimately allows to simply exist as it is. It promotes that there should be no one art style, but a continuance and creation of various types. It also borrows from popular culture, and often features Appropriations of other artists work, either artists from a different time period or genre. As in a novel, each reader can judge and interpret the text for him or herself. There is therefore no one primary meaning, but various meanings, each considered to be a valid interpretation. This form of appreciation reflects changes in the social and economic order in the West, encouraged by increased communication of the electronic age, globalization of economies, the 'americanization' of cultures, and computer technology. Faith Ringgold 1934 - 2024 Ringgold was unconcerned with unconcerned about collectors and art critics, has used her art to voice her dissatisfaction with racism and gender inequality, and the absence of the black image and subject matter in contemporary art. American People Series #20 Die (1967) focused on racial discrimination and tensions rising between white and black people during the 60's. She eventually moved away from canvas painting and began creating soft sculptures and her most famous works: Story-quilts She began writing her auto biography but as a result of a lack of publishing, she began incorporating them into her quilts. The quilts served the purpose of telling the stories of Black women, and representing them in this feminist tradition.  Faith Ringgold American People Series 20 Die, 1967  Faith Ringgold Black Light Series #12- Party Time, 1969  Faith Ringgold The Sunflowers Quilting Bee at Arles, 1991 Robert Colescott 1925 - 2009 Began his career in San Francisco, CA He made what he called 'subversive appropriations' of late nineteenth and early twentieth century masterpieces He used images from a range of different inspirations: African Art, Cartoons, and advertising His paintings was satirical commentary on race and discrimination in America, as well as artistic hierarchies He then moved to appropriating history paintings of the 18th century , and used the narratives to convey political messages Colescott's composition by the following criteria: fragmented appearance of collages groups of distorted figures crowded together in a shallow pictorial space. His undulating brushstrokes of intense colour are Neo Expressionist His paintings are allegorical narrative  Robert Colescott Robert Colescott, George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware 1975  Robert Colescott Natural Rhythm: Thank You Jan van Eyck, 1976 right: Les Desmoiselles d’Alabama: Vestidas, 1985 Jean Michel Basquiat 1960 - 1989 Basquiat was born in New York to Haitian and Puerto Rican parents Basquiat expressed his practice within a multiethnic hiphop culture, the culture of New York streets, within the African diaspora. His artistic career began around 1977, with the spraypainting of witty philosophical poems on subway cars and walls, signing his name (tag) SAMO His paintings went against modernist aesthetics with form, purity of materials, formal balance etc His works were autobiographical, included popular culture, street culture, personal phrases that seemed nonsensical, but commented on his experience in a political world Jean Michel Basquiat Untitled Skull, 1981 Jean Michel Basquiat Untitled, 1981 Emma Amos 1938 -2020 She was from Atlanta and moved to New York in te 1960's, where she was weaver and textile designer She showed her prints to Hale Woodruff who invited to join his group Spiral, with 16 of members Amos got involved with feminism in the 1980's and based her practice as a focus on these ideals. Her works focused on reflecting her life, feminism, race and the black middle class in the South. The images in her work were also symbolic and allegorical Emma Amos Equals 1992 Adrian Piper 1943 Piper's practice was dedicated to writing her autobiography while at the same time address her grave concerns about race and racism in the United States She was a philosopher by training, but began creating art in 1969 She created conceptual works with typescript to tell the narrative about the work. She also created drawings which focused on the representation Black women and the power of them telling their own stories She is known for her video art, which was a radical art form especially in the 1980's. Her purpose was re appropriate the representation of Black women in the media, and rather a degrading image, display an empowering one Adrian Piper Vanilla Nightmares #2, 1986 Adrian Piper The Mythic Being: I Embody Everything You Most Hate and Fear, 1975 Martin Puryear 1941 Creates Abstract minimalist sculptures and are often made outdoors, sometimes public art For him he says, 'I wanted purity and simplicity.' After traveling to Africa and Europe, he studied woodworking techniques: carpentry and sculpture His sculptures, freestanding or wall pieces, are a hybrid of his experiences abroad and at home Works allude to human physicality or abodes He is known for his incredible technique and manipulation of wood Compact forms, lattices, circular forms, or rings At times forms extend into space or fold inward or compress into simple masses.  Martin Puryear Jug, 2001  Martin Puryear Vessel, 1997-2002 Alison Saar 1951 For Saar, spirituality and politics meet and reinforce each other Her practice was influenced by her mother Betye Saar and her father Richard Saar who was a conservator In the 1980s, Saar made individual freestanding and wall relief sculptures based on the streets—the homeless, hustlers, social and cultural stereotypes, often societal discards found in Los Angeles, Mexico City, or New York City. Her work (similar to her mothers) features aspects of African Art and African spiritualism. Her scultpures are often free standing and include an installation component to them. She creates a ritual space with her "power object" which include African American folklore and beliefs. Alison Saar Rouse, 2012 David Hammons 1943 His work challenges entirely what qualifies as art, and what does not. He moves to Los Angeles from Springfield, Illinois for a better life in the 1960's He began by making a series of works called "body prints" which was response to socio political climate of America In 1974, he moves to New York and expands his practice even further by creating installation works that are more subjective. While still commenting on socio politcal climates, his work verges more on abstraction, installation, and subjectivity, which allows the view more agency for personal interpretation. His work falls under Post- Modernism  David Hammons Untitled, 2007  David Hammons “Oh say can you see,” 2017 Lorna Simpson 1960 She was the first AfricanAmerican woman to have a solo show at the Museum of Modern Art, began her career as a photojournalist She quickly moved to photography and her practice is all about the power of word words on labels juxtapose one everal photographs of an individual, usually a woman, each with her (or his) back facing the vieweers Simpson prevents us from doing the obvious: intuiting the meaning of the subject based on appearances, and seeing the face which permits us to scrutinize and classify based on our individual experiences. Clothes, often a simple cloth garment, act like a shield, further preventing us from interpreting 'signs' from the human photographed subject. Similar to Bearden, Simpson was also influenced by Jazz, and her work featuring a solo subject often translate a jazz-like environment  Lorna Simpson Stereo Styles, 1988  Lorna Simpson Source Notes, 2019 Dawoud Bey 1953 He represents a generation of African American photographers who photograph the vulnerable but tough urban youth whose fashion and bodies reflect their personal power and spaces. Bey He photographs portraits of young AfricanAmerican, Latino/Hispanic and, recently, AsianAmerican men, many belonging to marginalized youth culture, yet who at the same time are the sources for popular culture's trends and mark 'hipness'. In his work see a youth convey his or her individuality while defiantly and proudly expressing group identity. His work was formulated in the tradition of studio photography but leaves out, which creates space for viewer understanding of the person. Partly as a result of the process, which can take up to four hours, a rapport between photographer and sitter is established, an intimacy immediately apparent in the image. Dawoud Bey A Young Man Resting on an Exercise Bike, Amityville, NY, 1988 Dawoud Bey Combing Hair, Syracuse, N.Y., 1986 Barkley Hendricks Follows the pattern of traditional portraiture Interviews Acquaintances and friends he has met around the world His depictions of the Black figure depicture attitude and style The isolation of the figure alone against a solid background allows the viewer to truly see the subject, and his style of realism provides clarity of technique and vision. It also allows for him to capture their individual personalities  Barkley Hendricks “Lawdy Mama”, 1969  Barkley Hendricks Yocks, 1975 Simone Leigh Her work focuses on Black feminist thought and experiences of Black though Leigh often combines the female body with domestic vessels or architectural elements to point to unacknowledged acts of labor and care, particularly among and for Black women. She typically works with bronze or clay structures She incorporates aspects of the African Diaspora and recently has experimented with film depicting the Black female form Simone Leigh Brick House, 2019 Simone Leigh Last Garment, 2022 Roy Decarava Depicted modern Black life in Harlem in the 1960’s He combined formal acuity with an intimate and deeply human treatment of his subject matter. His work incorporates a vast use of space and tone which creates the feeling of intimacy His particular style of photography features a technique which creates movement and sets a particular scene, to not only place the subject but also place themselves. You ultimately feel like you are there Roy De Carava “Jimmy Garrison”, 1961 Roy De Carava Progressive Labor, 1964 Senga Nengudi Senga studied dance at Cal State LA In the early 1970s, Nengudi created what she called “fabric spirits.” They serve as sculptures and installation work These sculptures, like many others by Nengudi, conjure humans whose bodies are no longer there The most famous of her works are those of Black women performers, who contort their bodies in nylon The works symbolizes the physical black female body, and proposes new forms and suggests the many ways Black women use their bodies in life.  Senga Nengudi R.S.V.P. Reverie – “B” Suite, 1977/2011  Senga Nengudi Performance Piece, 1978 Radcliffe Bailey Born in 1968 in Bridgeton, NJ, he grew up in Atlanta where he frequent the High Museum of Art with his mother who introduced her son to the works of James Van Der Zee and Jacob Lawrence. He received in BFA of at at Atlanta College of Art in 1991 His practice mostly involved a mixed-media practice that delves into his black heritage and childhood in the South. His work can be classified as sculptural assemblages, since he did use found objects, photographs, and created an array of different works from painting to sculpture Most of his work featured aspects of the Black experience, rural south, African spirituality, and later ideas of afrofuturism Radcliffe Bailey Untitled (Ancestral Tree), 2002 Radcliffe Bailey Tobacco Blues, 2000 Mickalene Thomas makes paintings, collages, photography, video, and installations that draw on art history and popular culture to create a contemporary vision of female sexuality, beauty, and power. She examines the ways women are represented in art and popular culture Rhinestones are the signature symbol in her work, and serve as a subtle way of confronting our assumptions about what is feminine and what defines women. She’s inspired by early modernists such as Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Edouard Manet, and Romare Bearden. Her subjects model after traditional paintings of European masters Mickalene Thomas Racquel Reclined Wearing Purple Jumpsuit #2, 2004 Mickalene Thomas Shinique: Now I Know, 2015 Deborah Roberts Roberts lives and works in Austin, Texas She focuses on depictions of young Black children to depict aspects of visual culture, identity, and social constructs perpetuated by the Black community Her primary medium is collage, of which she says, “with collage, I can create a more expansive and inclusive view of the Black cultural experience.” Roberts' use of collage reflects the challenges encountered by young Black children as they strive to build their identity Deborah Roberts The Unseen, 2020 Deborah Roberts SHANKIA AND GRACE, 2021 Iona Rozeal Brown Brown’s work features figurative subjects who embody a mix African American and Japanese culture She uses traditional ukiyo-e print techniques Iona Rozeal Brown trades in imagery of the ganguro, Japanese nationals who darken their skin to emulate African Americans Geishas, courtesans, and a young yakuza are outfitted with Afros, hair extensions, fur coats, curving, talonlike fingernails, and deep brown, mask-like facial tans.  Iona Rozeal Brown "El Oso Me Pregunto", 2016  Iona Rozeal Brown "you opened my eyes man, thought i had a man, but how could i eye scan", 2008 Harmonia Rosales Her work focuses on empowerment of Black women through art and Western Culture Her work can be identified through her skill in creating composition resembling those of the European masters and appropriation of famous paintings. The figures in her work are a representation of Yoruba orishas, a part of her afro-cuban religion and background Her paintings are allegorical and rewrite the complicated history Black representation in Western Art Harmonia Rosales Birth of Oshun, 2017 Harmonia Rosales Creation of God, 2017 Kara Walker Walker is an American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor who explores race, gender, sexuality, violence, and identity in her work. She explores issues of race, sexuality, gender, and history in her work She is famous for her room-size tableaux of black cut-paper Her images usually depict stereotypical images of black women from slavery, and re appropriate them with scenes of violence against Black women during the time period. The purpose is to highlight the truth of the violent history of slavery which usually flies under the radar when it comes to stereotypical images of violence against Black women  Kara Walker Grub for Sharks: A Concession to the Negro Populace, 2004  Kara Walker Untitled, 1996  Carrie Mae Weems Untitled (Putting on Make-Up), Kitchen Table Series II, 1990-1999  Carrie Mae Weems From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried, 1995 Kerry James Marshall He graduated with his BFA from Otis Art Institute in 1978 Marshall’s work interrogates Western art history—from the Renaissance to 20th-century American Abstraction He challenges and recontextualizing it to include themes and depictions of Black people, which art history has tried to erase He does this by foregrounding Black subjects and uses Black color as skin color to further juxtapose this representation His works focus on everyday Black life but also experiences of relaxation, and luxury.  Kerry James Marshall A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self, 1980  Kerry James Marshall When Frustration Threatens Desire, 1990 Glenn Ligon He was born in the Bronx in 1960 Throughout his career, Ligon has pursued exploring American history, literature, and society across his practice built on legacies of modern painting and more recent conceptual art. He is best known for his landmark series of text-based paintings, made since the late 1980s, which draw on the writings and speech of diverse figures including Jean Genet, Zora Neale Hurston, Jesse Jackson, and Richard Pryor. He searches to reveal the ways in which the history of slavery, the civil rights movement, and sexual politics inform our understanding of American society.  Glenn Ligon Untitled (“I am an invisible man”), 1991  Glenn Ligon Untitled (I Am a Man), 1988 Mario Moore A primarily oil-based painter, Moore also works in sketching, sculpture, bronze and performance art. His work addresses history, and recontextualizes the Black body to be featured in art history. His series, A New Republic was sparked when Moore learned of an ancestor – a great-uncle going back several generations – who was enslaved as a child and later enlisted in the Union Army. He uses contemporary models in his works and usually tells his narrative through realism Mario Moore My Body, 2023  Mario Moore International Detroit Playa: Sheefy, 2023 Hank Willis Thomas Willis is a conceptual artist focusing on themes relating to perspective, identity, commodity, media and popular culture. His work often incorporates widely-recognizable icons—many from well-known advertising or branding campaigns These images explore their ability to reinforce generalizations developed around race, gender and ethnicity.  Hank Willis Thomas Raise Up, 2014  Hank Willis Thomas Liberty, 2015