African-American art by Sharon Patton (Oxford 1998) - Book Report/Review Example

During the period between 17th and early 19th century, African American art was exhibited in different forms such as quilts, small drum, wrought iron figures and clay crafts in the Southern part of the United States of America. These works of art have some similar features as crafts in Central and West Africa. This book explores the major reassessment of the theme, background and origination of the art from an African-American perspective. Sharon Patton has discussed various techniques used by the African-American artists either they were free or enslaved during the early-eighteenth-century.

The writer further discusses that how these African-American artists gained popularity in the field of fine arts that include sculpture, painting and photography and they continued to grow till the nineteenth century. In her book, the author has also discussed about the most influential Negro associations and the movements gaining pace in 1920s. Sharon Patton has described that phase of struggle by African-American groups as the period of Human and Civil Rights and the time when the ‘Blacks’ were gaining independence and identity.

The book mainly revolves around the facts taking place in 1960s and 1970s. It has been observed and explored by the writer that the African-American art emerged in that era was heavily influenced by the facts and the incidences occurring in the society. Their art reflected their feelings and more precisely, their art reflected the social order, customs, their sufferings and somewhere, their art reflects the touch of American society in general. Sharon Patton has further investigated that what were the significant problems that were faced by these African-American under the influence of political pressure, the authority gained by the museums, the sudden increase in the Black universities, the influence of black artists and the implementation of different artistic techniques.

Sharon Patton has tried to make the