African American art boasts a vibrant history, dating back to the 17th century, with early expressions found in the form of small drums, quilts, wrought-iron figures, and ceramic vessels in the southern United States.
Since then, African Americans have made significant contributions to the art world, enriching it with diverse perspectives and styles. Today, African American wall art serves as a powerful symbol of progression, offering a glimpse into the lives and experiences of African Americans throughout history.
A Window into Culture and History
Whether you're drawn to the uptown vibe of Harlem Renaissance art or the modern aesthetic of mid-20th-century artwork, African American art can be seamlessly integrated into homes across the globe, adding depth and character to any space.
African American framed art can serve as a time glimpse into the lives of African American people during that era. An amazing way to celebrate and display diversity in your community is with African American wall art. This culture is both distinct and enormously influential on American culture as a whole.
Powerful quotes from leaders in the African American community showcase in artwork without overpowering your walls and room. Whether you’re looking for the beauty of color or historical moments from any era, you can find the African American art you want.
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From Sacramento, Calif., to Cincinnati, Ohio, Charlotte, N.C., and New York City, the exhibitions highlight the work of women artists, African and Black American artists active in the modern era, 19th century potters, and art from the collections of historically Black colleges and universities.
Musical Expression in Art
From jazz lounges to juke joints, African Americans have always found a way to express themselves through music.
How Did African American Culture, Via Jazz, Influence Art? - Jazz Music Legends
Exploring Themes and Styles
Although some African American artists used abstract styles to investigate various aesthetic issues, most favored a straightforward, realistic approach to illustrate a range of themes introduced in the 1920s during the Harlem Renaissance, the first self-conscious cultural movement among people of color.
At this time African Americans examined their history and heritage and gained racial consciousness and pride. The art produced by black artists reflects timely political and social issues, the importance of music and religion in African American culture, and candid portrayals of daily life.
The realities of poverty, the search for identity, and the universal struggle for freedom, social justice, and human dignity are depicted with a rare emotional intensity and a deeply felt humanity.
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Contemporary African American artists no longer rely on social realism to tell their stories, but their work continues to reflect the legacy of suffering and inequality. While Glenn Ligon and Willie Cole mine black history and literature to produce powerful and provocative images, local artist Dexter Davis divulges the effects of a childhood inundated with violence, and Lorna Simpson and Ellen Gallagher scrutinize identity issues.
Museum Exhibitions: A Survey of African American Art
MUSEUMS ACROSS THE NATION are surveying more than 150 years of African African American art. Coinciding with Black History Month, the exhibitions engage a spectrum of themes, presenting an expansive look at Black artistic production.
Several exhibitions across the country highlight the breadth and depth of African American artistic expression:
- "A Superlative Palette": Features works by 12 generation-defining women artists, showcasing unique approaches to figuration, drawing, and abstraction.
- "Threaded": Anchored by Gee’s Bend quilts and works by a new generation of textile artists, exploring quilting and various textile formats.
- "Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898-1971": Celebrates seven decades of cinema history, exploring the legacy of African American filmmakers and actors through objects and contemporary art.
- "Multiplicity": Considers the complexity of Black identity and the expansive nature of the Black experience through collage and collage-style works.
- "The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism": Explores how artists portrayed modern life in the 1920s-40s.
These artworks span three centuries of creative expression in various media, including painting, sculpture, textiles, and photography, and represent numerous artistic styles, from realism to neoclassicism, abstract expressionism, modernism, and folk art.
The artists included in SAAM’s collection powerfully evoke themes both universal and specific to the African American experience.
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A survey of artists who came to prominence in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, this exhibition presents a powerful selection of works that reflect the social, political, and cultural climate of the times.
The Role of the WPA/FAP
Since racial discrimination had previously barred African American artists from many opportunities, they often first gained access to printmaking instruction and facilities in neighborhood art centers sponsored by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project, which from 1935 to 1943 provided jobs for thousands of unemployed artists.
The WPA/FAP also funded the hiring of teachers at community art centers like Karamu House in Cleveland, where Charles Sallée, William Smith, and Hughie Lee-Smith made prints. Their work, which documents the hardships of the Great Depression, is on view in the exhibition.
Table of Featured Artists and Their Works
| Artist | Work | Style/Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Romare Bearden | "Late Afternoon" | Collage and mixed media |
| David Clyde Driskell | “Woman with Flowers” | Oil and collage on canvas |
| William H. Johnson | "Woman in Blue" | Oil on burlap |
| Ibrahim El-Salahi | “Vision of the Tomb” | Oil on canvas |
| Derek Fordjour | “Airborne Double” | Acrylic, charcoal, cardboard, oil pastel, and foil on newspaper mounted on canvas |
