African-American Modernist: Childhood Experiences in the Early Life of the Artist - Case Study Example

ART 110 – Art Appreciation Assignment #2 – Research an Artist “Style” is the “characteristic handling of media and elements of form, which give a work its identity as the product of a particular person, group, art movement, period, or culture.” (Text, 9th Edition, Glossary) Style and Artist African-American Modernists: Lawrence, General Toussaint L’Ouverture Defeats The English (page 392). . Required Text “Artforms”, Preble, Duane, Patrick Frank and Sarah Preble," Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Tenth Edition. ISBN 9780205797530. Format This research document is to be double-spaced, Times New Roman, using the 12-point font ************************************************************************ The Early Life of the Artist 1. When was the artist born? The artist was born September 17, 1917. (www.absolutearts.com) 2. Where was the artist born? The artist was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (www.phillipscollection.org) 3. Note any information you were able to find on the parents of the artist. He was raised by his mother. (www.phillipscollection.org) 4. Did the artist have any brothers or sisters? He had two younger siblings. (www.phillipscollection.org) 5. What were some of the significant childhood experiences in the early life of the artist? As a young boy, his mother moved the one parent family to Pennsylvania. At an early age he was put into foster care and didnt see his mother until he was 13 years old. He moved back to his mothers to Harlem (www.absolutearts.com) 6. Note any information on the education of the artist. Once he came to Harlem, he attended the Utopia Childrens house which was an after school day center. He chose art as an activity. His teacher was Charles Alston, who studied at the Columbia University teachers college. The Harlem Art Workshop, set up by the Works Progress Administration was where he spent most of his time. The government has set up art centers in 100 different cities to promote the development of black art ( Preble p 392) Alston became his mentor. The workshop taught Lawrence all art mediums. He learned how to draw and how to paint. He had close supervision from his mentor. The workshop was where the leaders of the black renaissance went during the depression. http://www.phillipscollection.org/research/over_the_line/young.swf He stayed in the workshop until 1937 when he received a scholarship to the American Artists School. www.jacobandgwenlawrence.org 7. What was the artist’s early career like? Was it as an artist or was it in another field? He had to go to work at 17 years old to help support his family, but he was able to still continue painting. (www.phillipscollection.org) His first history series was in 1934. (www.jacobandgwenlawrence.org) Young Adult Life and Artistic Beginnings 1. Did the artist marry? If so, note any information on the marriage. He met his future wife in one of the Harlem workshops, 306. (www.phillipscollection.org) 2. Did the artist have children? If so, note any information on the children. (no information found) 3. What were the artist’s early experiences as an artist? He stayed with his one mentor for 4 years . Charles Alston. (www.usa-hero.com 4. What were the significant early works of art and what were they like? Toussaint LOuverture (series) represents his most famous serious. They were done between 1937-38. His fascination of history is shown within these 41 paintings of the liberation of Haiti from the French from African slavery L. Haiti was the first black republic in the West. Lawrence was quoted as saying that the Negros had to have their own history. He portrayed it in his art. (www.absolutearts.com) Every day he would paint a little bit. He had to be careful because of the times of social injustice in the US against Blacks. (www.absolutearts.com ) The paintings were gouache, limited in colors (5 maximum) and the faces were black. Today they would be considered childlike. (personal opinion) Historical Information 1. What major historical events took place during the life of the artist in: a. Europe Europe was affected by the Great Depression that terminated with the start of World War II in 1933. b. Asia In Asia, there was World War II and the dropping of the first atomic bomb. The Korean war and the Vietnam war were during his life time. c. Africa He saw the end of apartheid in South Africa under the British CommonWealth in 1994 d. North America The change of how the black population started as a segregated community where the toilets were separate and they sat at the back of the busses to ten years ago of relative equality. e. South America I do not see of how this would have influenced the artist. Historical Information on the Style 1. What style did the artist work in? He had his own style, using colors and shapes to show movement. He was highly influenced by African art. ( Preble p 393) He told stories showing his fascination with history and portrayed social problems. Each painting had a story to tell. He left nothing out. He touch on topics as crime, poverty, and racism. 2. Describe the significant characteristics of this style. Abstraction, cubism showed a non realist side to his paintings. He said he wanted to keep his works simple. There is also a naturalism when showing the way of life, the suffering of blacks and the history of their fighting to freedom of slavery. (my own opinion) If at times my productions do not express the conventionally beautiful, there is always an effort to express the universal beauty of mans continuous struggle to lift his social position and to add dimension to his spiritual being. (www.absolutearts.com) 3. Name some of the other artists who worked in this style. I think of Matisse when I look at his paintings or he reminds me a little bit of Picasso. Both these artists used far more color. When you look at the historical scenes, as in the history series, you can see the influence of Eugène Delacroix. (personal opinion) Stuart-Davis uses few colors and is abstract. He would be the closest to Jacob Lawrence, if he told a story with his paintings. (personal opinion) 4. Where and when did this style occur? In the 1920s Harlem experienced a "renaissance" or rebirth of culture. Money was given to have workshops built all over Harlem . Writers, musicians, and artists felt free to create an Afro-American culture. (www.absolutearts.com) Highlights of Artistic Career 1. What were some of the highlights of the artistic career of the artist? He is the first Black American artist to have his works in the permanent collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art when he was only 24 years old. He was a social advocate and spent his life painting to help blacks in their fight for social recognition and equality. (www.absolutearts.com) In 1970, Lawrence accepted a position of Professor in the School of Art at the University of Washington. (www.cs.washington.edu) He spent his whole life working as an artist. 2. Briefly discuss several significant works by the artist. Name the works and tell a little about each. Toussaint LOuverture was part of a his History Series of 41 paintings started in 1937 depicting the fight from the English towards freedom of slavery to the freedom of Haiti by Toussaint. (1791-1804) (“Artforms”, Preble, Duane, Patrick Frank and Sarah Preble," ISBN 9780205797530. p 392). "Migration Series" (1941) showed the flight of African Americans from the South to the North following World War I. There were 60 paintings . (www.cs.washington.edu) Lawrence considered himself an educator. These two series portrayed over 400 years of Black history in the United States. He said that American Black History had to be created otherwise, they would consider themselves inferior. His best works of arts are these two series. (www.cs.washington.edu) In 1997, he took over the whole series to redo them as screen prints (silk screen printing) www.absolutearts.com Read More