Black Art

I thought we could start with the Harlem Renaissance Artists. William H. Johnson 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot' This looks very much like the kind of black art you see in Africa too; I find it vibrant and intriguing.

love how he paid attention to knees and elbows! are the girls angels? was trying to figure out what the pink feathers were for. this piece is interesting. i love the unpretentiousness of it....

Yes, I think they are indeed angels. Though I'm not sure about the interpretation of the picture either. If there are more similarities between African and American black artists, then it could be that this has something to do with a folktale - but I'm not sure. But another thing I find astonishing with this type of art, is the rhythm, the music in it. The colours, the figures, even the way the horse with the chariot jumps - there is a really strong rhythm in this painting. It's great.

Lo�s Mailou Jones 'Les Fetisches' 1938 Very powerful, hey? And I think we can all tell from the title what this might be about. I like the way the magic/black magic theme is incorporated. The girl becomes tiny as she is engulfed by the obsession, as if her lover or admirer was trying to lure her to him through magic. Or perhaps the artists intended some very different meaning - but it's fun to speculate.

Reminds me of the dada art of the surrealist movement.

I don't like dada art. But shall I open a topic anyway? It does play quite a role in the art of this century.

Sure, mama open dada.

ha-ha! Okay, Mr. Walha! Hey guys, sorry I can't put in photos for you today - I only have a few minutes; got a guy, whose doctoral thesis my husband is supervising, coming over from Oxford tonight, and have to attend a vernisage. �sigh� I hate that mingling thing. Damn, what'll I cook - I can't cook!!!! Fondue? In this weather? $hit, who cares? Fondue it'll be.

What's the thesis on and what's that word you used that starts with v?

no kidding! and what line of work is your husband in?

not to butt in and all, however there's a hymn/spiritual that goes something like this... "...looked over Jordan and what did I see, Coming for to carry me home, A band of angels coming after me, Coming for to carry me home Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home..."

Oh, so that's what the painting is all about! THANKS, Wer!! The thesis is on William Furtw�ngler, Organicism in his music, and the whole controversy surrounding his career in Germany during World War II. A Vernisage is the official opening of an exhibition (and it was a pain!!). Chris is a music historian and conductor.

Here is a very very sweet one: William H. Johnson Untitled 1940-41

He has been influenced by the work of Riette Walton.

i like this one. is the little boy hitch-hiking?

What warped ideas you have sometimes, Terry! Couldn't paint like that if I tried. And, ha-ha, Wolf!!! It really looks like he's hitch-hiking, doesn't it? You've got such sharp eyes for these things!!

you know, it's the whole composition, mom's waiting with their baby girl and dad's trying to get it started with junior and he just looks like he's got his thumb out cuz dad ain't never gonna get it started!

ha-ha!!!! There speaks the ultimate art interpreter - you should become an art critic, Wolf. At least people will start to enjoy reading about art! I love your comments!

HAHA!!

Here's a truly gorgeous one: Lo�s Mailou Jones 'Jardin du Luxembourg' c. 1948

WOW!! This one just takes you in and makes you part of the square.

Yes, you're right - it has a very IMMEDIATE quality about it. Lovely.

Hale Woodruff 'Afro Emblams' 1950 What do you think of this one?

hmmm...

had a hard time figuring this one out-the pic is too big to see at once so it seems really busy. thought i saw a chair......

I find it wonderful in a very abstract way. Not a clue about the interpretation, I must confess! But the colours are wonderful - I'd love to have this hanging in the living room of my flat on the Namibian coast. The blue would go so perfectly with the sea, and the pastel dunes that one sees from the kitchen windows will form a wonderful contrast.

that sounds so pretty!

To me it's the most beautiful place on earth.

This one is not for me, but I bet it would look great in your house, Riette!

Let's just say it would blend in with the chaos....

William H. Johnson 'Flowers' Wonderful painting!!

what a pretty bouquet and look how he included some of the petals on the doily..

Yes, and the colours! He just composed the whole painting so beautifully. The colours almost LOOK like the shapes of the flowers. Not to mention the gorgeous background.

It's so vibrant it could be illuminated. Ok, turn it off now!

ha-ha!

John T. Biggers 'Shotgun, Third Ward' 1966 Does anyone know about Black American history of the 1960's? I would like to find out about the context in which this painting was done.

As blacks lobbied for civil rights in the 60s, a lot of (southern) black churches were burned to the ground. Blacks were lynched, tortured, and beaten to be "taught a lesson."

Thank you, Autumn. How moving. I find the figure on the woman on the left with her arms behind her back particularly poignant.

uh-oh, what did i miss? i'll go back (southern black churches have been burnt here rather recently-it's really sick)

oh my gosh--i thought this was a happy painting because the red glow in the back made me think of a sunset and i thought the children were dancing. didn't occur to me that it was a fire and the church had been burnt down. just thought it was an old church. well, now that i know what's going on---the woman with her hands clasped behind her back makes me think that she feels helpless and this is a fact of life. like, there's nothing she can do but stand there and watch. it's a shame how ignorant people can be to think that just because one is different from another doesn't mean the one is superior. it's wonderful we are all different no matter what skin tone, nationality, or sex. my goodness, we all cry when we're sad, you know? i can't understand why this stuff still goes on in this day and age. and i don't understand what this tolerance stuff is all about. we should accept each other, not just tolerate--i mean, that doesn't change the meaning of what the ignorant believe-it just means, ok, you don't have to accept other cultures, just put up with them for a while. that's sad.

sorry, got up on my soapbox....

No, no - your response makes alot of sense. I don't see the sense in it either. I mean, why is it that WHITE people think themselves superior? Of all the nations on earth, we are probably the least attractive - so why??

i really don't know, ree-head! and if you study color in a scientific manner, white is all the colors at the same time and black is a lack of color or void of color. so i find it interesting and laugh because people are so ignorant.

I always heard that black-and-white thing the other way around!

really??? i remember this thing from my 9th grade art class-and who says you'll never use the stuff they teach you *haha* i'll have to do some checking--hey, ray! you're the science guy, what do you know about this matter?

for mixing lights, all of the primary colors shined in one spot make white. of course mixing all of the primary colors of paint just gets you gray purple goo.

right-it would only happen with light as passed through a prysm. has something to do with absorbtion and reflection. so a red flower is red because that's the color that's being reflected back at you. the other colors are absorbed. oh, probably making an idiot of myself (what else is new) but if memory serves, this is the way it was spelled out in Biology 101. (no i didn't fail-got a B)

no, that's about right, wolfie!

really? do i get an A for retention???? where's that professor's number........