Rachel
The early 20th century gave rise to African American artists who struggled to present their own identity as different from racist and clichéd views. While social conditions were better in a sense, African Americans were still subject to exclusion and segregation. The lack of equality resulted with “the evolution of the ‘New Negro,’ a term used to describe a new generation of men and women who argued eloquently and organized effectively for the rights of black men and women” (Pohl). Incredibly important among these groups were the elite who would sponsor exhibits strictly for African Americans, giving rise to the “New Negro Arts Movement” or the “Harlem Renaissance” in the early 1920s and 1930s.
A majority of black artists did not live in Harlem in New York City during this period, but the term refers to the rebirth of black culture “placed within the more inclusive concept of a metaphoric racial landscape” (Pohl). As with all major art movements, a certain level of national pride emerges, but this one called for an even greater determination to battle racism and establish a self-crafted cultural identity. Dubbed “the spirit of negritude,” it focused on two simple tasks: the “exploration of the civilizations of Black Africa; and a redefining of the meaning of black experience in the United States” (Pohl). Especially in the Harlem Renaissance, focus on the latter of the two goals was more widely accepted, as that definition was what drove activists during this era.
The importance of this movement is often overlooked as African Americans lobbied “for equality through the arts, not through direct political action” (Pohl). Aaron Douglas’s mural entitled Harriet Tubman, completed in 1931, both calls for action and dismisses the need to make a stand. The generalized form of the woman represents “all black women who broke the shackles of slavery” (Pohl), adhering to the notion that her action of breaking free applies to all blacks, signifying that they no longer have to fight for their equality. The powerful profiles of the enslaved and the lines of light give dignity to the figures, providing hope for their social and cultural development.
Balancing Expressionism with a modern edge, Archibald J. Motley, Jr. added to the black identity with his depiction of urbanization, “a citified image of African Americans that . . . reflected the marketing of a black urban identity” (Pohl) to all viewers. Jockey Club, completed in 1929, shows several white patrons as they begin to enter the club contrasted sharply “to the black figure of the doorman, whose face appears to express a certain apprehension” (Pohl). The expressive and loose brush strokes add to the freedom of the white club-goers while also restricting the movement of folks of color; the stiffness in the figures in the light portrays Motley’s own feelings about racial identity, that the society-created character is only one of ideals and is therefore unattainable, adding a stiff, pre-posed notion to the vitality of this piece.
Works Cited
Douglas, Aaron. Harriet Tubman. 1931. Bennett College, Greensboro, North Carolina.Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002. Print.
Motley, Archibald J., Jr. Jockey Club. 1929. Oil on canvas. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002. Print.
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
The early 20th century gave rise to African American artists who struggled to present their own identity as different from racist and clichéd views. While social conditions were better in a sense, African Americans were still subject to exclusion and segregation. The lack of equality resulted with “the evolution of the ‘New Negro,’ a term used to describe a new generation of men and women who argued eloquently and organized effectively for the rights of black men and women” (Pohl). Incredibly important among these groups were the elite who would sponsor exhibits strictly for African Americans, giving rise to the “New Negro Arts Movement” or the “Harlem Renaissance” in the early 1920s and 1930s.
A majority of black artists did not live in Harlem in New York City during this period, but the term refers to the rebirth of black culture “placed within the more inclusive concept of a metaphoric racial landscape” (Pohl). As with all major art movements, a certain level of national pride emerges, but this one called for an even greater determination to battle racism and establish a self-crafted cultural identity. Dubbed “the spirit of negritude,” it focused on two simple tasks: the “exploration of the civilizations of Black Africa; and a redefining of the meaning of black experience in the United States” (Pohl). Especially in the Harlem Renaissance, focus on the latter of the two goals was more widely accepted, as that definition was what drove activists during this era.
The importance of this movement is often overlooked as African Americans lobbied “for equality through the arts, not through direct political action” (Pohl). Aaron Douglas’s mural entitled Harriet Tubman, completed in 1931, both calls for action and dismisses the need to make a stand. The generalized form of the woman represents “all black women who broke the shackles of slavery” (Pohl), adhering to the notion that her action of breaking free applies to all blacks, signifying that they no longer have to fight for their equality. The powerful profiles of the enslaved and the lines of light give dignity to the figures, providing hope for their social and cultural development.
Balancing Expressionism with a modern edge, Archibald J. Motley, Jr. added to the black identity with his depiction of urbanization, “a citified image of African Americans that . . . reflected the marketing of a black urban identity” (Pohl) to all viewers. Jockey Club, completed in 1929, shows several white patrons as they begin to enter the club contrasted sharply “to the black figure of the doorman, whose face appears to express a certain apprehension” (Pohl). The expressive and loose brush strokes add to the freedom of the white club-goers while also restricting the movement of folks of color; the stiffness in the figures in the light portrays Motley’s own feelings about racial identity, that the society-created character is only one of ideals and is therefore unattainable, adding a stiff, pre-posed notion to the vitality of this piece.
Works Cited
Douglas, Aaron. Harriet Tubman. 1931. Bennett College, Greensboro, North Carolina.Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002. Print.
Motley, Archibald J., Jr. Jockey Club. 1929. Oil on canvas. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002. Print.
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.