The Harlem Renaissance's Influence on Art

    During the Early Modern era, African American's had a massive influence on the art of the era. This is due mainly to the Harlem Renaissance, which lasted from the 1910's to the 1930's. It grew within Harlem New York, and was considered a Renaissance of African American art, music, and overall culture. 

    Due to rapid improvements in this area, buildings weren't filled, and landlords wanted to fill the vacancy's. The middle class black community began to move in, and the area became flooded, due to a "Great Migration" from the south. 

    Art from this time was often inspired by the artist's African roots, and called back to a time before African's were transported to the USA against their will. It acted as a glue for African American's, bringing them together as one concise cultural push in the arts, something they had been frequently barred from participating in. The Harlem Renaissance, in my perception, is the refusal of white culture, and instead was the creation of something unique and innately African American.

    This photograph is called Figure of a Young Woman, Pahouin, Border of Spanish Guinea, by Walker Evans in 1935. This was photographed at New York's Museum of Modern Art, and I could not find the original sculptor. This creator produced a 477 print collection of "African Nego Art," prints mostly given to African American educational institutions. 

    

    The main evidence of African American influence in this, beyond the African American artist, is the inspiration for the piece. As is referenced in the title, this sculpture emulates the art of the Pahouin people, who are a Central African group. Additionally, this piece was born out of the Harlem Renaissance, making it a part of the cultural wave that resulted from the movement.

    The first aspect of this piece I find to be interesting is the pieces form. It seems disproportionate, when compared to the traditional American standard of the human body. To mention a few discrepancies, waist down appears too short, the shoulders protrude beyond the arms, and the head is too large for the body it's attached to. This lends it some interest for me, because it draws attention to various quadrants of the figure. I think when working with sculpture, you have many opportunities to manipulate proportions, because it draws the eye in with ease.

    

    The second element I noticed is the artist's use of line. There are no harsh edges or sudden stops. If one was to start from the top of the head, they could trace the entirety of the sculpture. As someone who has troubles knowing what to focus on in artwork, the way this sculpture leads the eye is very pleasing to look at. 

    Finally, this photograph picks up an amazing texture to the metal. It seems rough in certain places, despite its reflective quality. Although it's likely just a trick of the light, it gives the feeling of skin and aliveness to the sculpture. This is especially noticeable just above the knees, and around the bellybutton. 

    This piece seems small. I know sculpture can vary pretty wildly, but whenever I've seen these African inspired pieces, they're generally the size of a mug or smaller. Because of it's size, and my appreciation for the novel representation of the human form, I think it would be a nice addition to my art collection.

    This piece is called The Judgement Day by Aaron Douglas, painted in 1939. The African American inspiration comes from a book called God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons In Verse. This piece was poems, inspired by traditional African ways of storytelling. This artwork also came as a part of the Harlem Rennisance, and Douglas was a leading artist during the movement. He moved to New York during the movement, so this piece was likely painted there.

    

    The first element of this piece that I adore is the use of color. By using yellow and purple and green, the piece has a lot of contrast. Additionally, each color is decently bright, which adds liveliness to an otherwise one-dimensional piece.

    Secondly, the artist uses space, in order to represent a grand scale. Above the heads of the men on the bottom, there is emptiness, except for who I assume to be Gabriel blowing his horn. This makes Gabriel seem massive, and beyond that, Godly. He towers above others, and looms above them, standing as tall as the sky.

    Finally, the artist uses shape in order to portray the events of the painting. His painting's busy nature comes from the use of color, not an influx of detail. People are simple shapes, and nothing draws particular attention. 

    I really love this painting. I think the one-dimensional nature is an interesting step back from the overly detailed pieces we've been viewing in this class. The color is abstract, the shapes are simple, and overall it contributes an immense amount of serotonin to my being. Assuming it's not too large, this piece would be such a nice addition to any place I lived.

    This piece is called Portrait of My Grandma, painted in 1922 by Archibald John Motley jr. It depicts his grandma, a woman born into slavery, but whose child worked one of the best jobs an African American could have at the time. A woman whose grandson was one of the first African American's to be granted admittance to the Art Institute of Chicago. This piece was painted shortly after his 1918 graduation, and was likely done in Chicago, where his family resided.  

    This piece holds an obvious emphasis on African-American's, and their influence on the art of the time. It represents the generational trauma of slavery, embodied in his grandma's weary hands, worn face, and flat expression. Even her shadow appears to be withering. Additionally, his art marks a historic moment for the African American community, due to his attendance at a prestigious art academy.

    The first element here that stands out is the artist's use of tone. Especially when looking at the skin, some sections are lighter, giving the appearance of age or liver spots dotting the skin. It adds to the worn and rugged look of the subject. The tone alterations in her shirt are also very interesting, because it gives the illusion of transparency. I think this stuck out because shirts that intentionally appear this way are a rather recent fashion trend, so it makes her seem poor, because her clothes appear worn and see-through.

    Secondly, the artist's use of color is very nice. The painting sticks to entirely neutrals, which is a bold choice, especially considering the vibrancy I saw in other art from this period. It mutes the mood, and makes the subject seem very calm. Whenever I see a piece with this fully neutral pallet, it makes me calm, and reminds me of the earth.

    Finally, the artist's use of space caught my attention. I love the emptiness behind the grandma. It makes her seem lonely, and, forces the viewer to confront the possibly uncomfortable result of a lifetime of slavery. I've found as class progresses that I really am a fan of these empty backgrounds, because it makes the subject matter much more apparent and appreciated.

   

    I am not a big fan of realistic art. It makes me kind of uncomfortable, and I find I avoid looking at it when it's very focused and doesn't have a busy background. Because of that, I probably wouldn't own it, but I think I would greatly appreciate it if I came across it in a gallery or other exhibition.

Citations

“Aaron Douglas.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 July 2020, www.biography.com/artist/aaron-douglas.

“Archibald Motley.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Oct. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Motley.

“God's Trombones.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 June 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God's_Trombones.

History.com Editors. “Harlem Renaissance.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/harlem-renaissance.

“National Gallery of Art.” Harlem Renaissance, www.nga.gov/education/teachers/lessons-activities/uncovering-america/harlem-renaissance.html.