AFR 372E/ARH 366N
Twentieth-Century African American Art
Jacob Lawrence, During World War I there was a great migration north by southern African Americans. Panel 1 of The Migration Series. 1940-41. Casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18 in.
We will explore whether African American art is uniquely American and consider whether some “Africanisms” are retained.
This course surveys art made by African American artists in the 20th century. We will study painting, photography, and sculpture made in representational and abstract styles. We will explore whether African American art is uniquely American and consider whether some “Africanisms” are retained. We will examine the relationship between African American art and jazz during the Harlem Renaissance (1920s-1930s), African American art and protest during the Civil Rights era (1950s-1960s), and African American art and the politics of identity (1980s-1990s). The course text will be Sharon Patton’s African-American Art; other texts will be available on reserve and in the course reader.
Romare Bearden, Prevalence of Ritual: Baptism, 1964. Photomechanical reproductions, paint, and graphite on board, 9 ⅛ x 12 in.
Lorna Simpson, Waterbearer, 1986. Photograph and text, dimensions variable.