Freedom : A Fable Of The Gallery 's At The Walker Art Center

In “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens”, Alice Walker looks to educate us on the hardships that almost all black women face when trying to express themselves through things such as art. She delves into many sociological and psychological concepts that have affected black women throughout human history. These concepts and ideologies created a realm for mass exclusion, discrimination, and oppression of many African American women, including Alice Walker’s Mother, who Alice utilizes as one of her particular examples. The writing thematically aims to show how these concepts of sexism, racism, and even classism have contributed to black women’s lack of individuality, optimism, and fulfillment for generations. The author does a tremendous job of defending and expanding upon her arguments. She has a credible background, being a black woman that produces the art of literature herself. As well as being raised by one, Walker’s first-hand experience warrants high regard. Therefore, her use of abstract and introspective language is presented clearly and convincingly. Also, her use of evidence and support from sources like Jean Toomer, Virginia Woolf, and Phillis Wheatley, all produce more validity for her stance through poems, quotes, and even experiences. All these individuals have their own accounts pertaining to the oppression of black women and their individuality. Successfully arguing that the artistry plights of black women described in “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens” are

On the caves in Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria, around 6,000-4,000 B.C.E of the Neolithic Period, an artist created an example of parietal art called The Running Horned Woman. Although the artist remains unknown, most historians believe that the Running Horned Woman emerged from the Tuareg, the nomadic indigenous people of the region who farmed and shepherded. Through the artwork and the Tuareg culture, many historians suspect the land of Tassili n’Ajjer transformed from a region full of grasslands to a desert. The artist of the Running Horned Woman creates this piece with a variety of elements of art, such as line, color, and space, and principles of design, such as movement, proportion, and emphasis. By selecting these elements and principles, the artwork focuses on the woman of the piece as the main subject.

This paper will be a visual description of Lisa Lyon, a photograph made by the contemporary artist Robert Mapplethorpe. This piece was made in 1982 and imitates that of the Greek Bronze. The artwork is a 2-dimensional photograph of the award winning body builder, Lisa Lyon. The photo is in black and white and shows Lisa Lyon in a sort of stance. There seems to be a source of light coming from the right side of the photo that sort of brightens up the front of her body that is facing the right. IT seems to be a contrast of light and dark all through the photo. The shadows are really putting an emphasis on her muscles. There is implied and thick lines everywhere when looking at the photo.

“Images” that are dedicated to humanism, conceived by, and based on African Americans and their encounters.

Art is able to transport its viewer through time and connect us as a community. Audiences are able to infer the content and context of the artwork. Art displayed through different mediums and about different topics can share many similarities and draw connections between one another. Exodus, created by Shelby Lechman (2015), uses oil paint on canvas to depict a young boy and father in a train car, leaving their home in Hungary during the time of the Hungarian Revolution (fig.1). Back into the Earth: Creation and the Interpretation of Meaning, created by Tamara Himmelspach (2015) is a series of 11 prints and a physical dress displaying the designer in a jingle dress representing the traditions of the Ojibwa culture

Cany Peale’s painting shows an Anglo-Saxon woman engaging with an African American woman, at first glance, one could assume this is a genre painting, that of a peaceful scene demonstrating people in everyday activities (“Genre Painting”). Two women intimately engaging “in a grooming ritual” (Byrd) however this thought is fractured as you see the controlling way the Anglo-Saxon woman holds the bottom of the African American woman's face as she gazes upon herself in the mirror. A spectacle of power and control that is further illustrated as the Anglo-Saxon woman stands slightly taller than the African American, demonstrating the hierarchy and to establishing their identities as Mistress and slave.

“Artists today explore ideas, concepts, questions, and practices that examine the past, describe the present, or imagine the future.” Contemporary artists use a dynamic combination of media and technologies, methods, concepts, and subjects to create works that reflects The Human Condition in modern culture and society. Three contemporary artworks that utilise these artistic practices to express The Human Condition are Michael Parekowhai, Tracey Moffatt and Vernon Ah Kee. Each artist has used artistic devices to express the contemporary significance of The Human Condition by creating works that reflect back to their own experience and the history of their nationality.

This art piece portrays a darker colored woman in the middle with twelve men sitting at the table, six men on each side. She is not wearing any sort of garments except for a simple white cloth around her spread out arms. All men are divided into three-men group based upon similar actions. The man immediate right to the woman is the only man with paler skin color. On the table, there are feast of fruits, vegetables, bread, and drinks.

Faith Ringgold composed this piece by using oil paints on a 31 by 19 inch canvas. It is depicting the struggles that her community and herself were facing while trying to gain equal rights from the majority of white American culture. She uses line, shape, color, value and texture

The artwork is a complex mixture if colors, shapes, and tints. In the painting, there are eight figures. Seven that is to the center and left of the painting and one on the right. The seven persons on the left are all either touching each other or interlocked with someone. Of that seven, six are men and one is a female. There is a man in

his book titled “Sweet Clara And The Freedom Quilt” by Author: Deborah Hopkinson Illustrator: James E. Ransome gave a new meaningful perspective through the lens of a child’s point of view.

Renee Cox, as an African American woman and artist, uses her body and identity to start a discussion on the Black experience in America. Besides representing a population of minority artists, the female and the non-white, her art has affected society with her brazen approach to her craft. Cox’s significance comes from her open display of race and sex. In many of her pieces, nudity and the celebration of the African American experience is the focus. In addition to this, her medium of choice, mixed media and photography, is opening an outlet of art that isn’t traditionally used. In essence, Renee Cox is an artist that can pave the way for future artists by diversifying through medium, race, and sex.

By employing themes such as psychosexual fantasies, race, gender, and violence, artist Kara Walker reconstructs and explores the history and effects of American slavery on American culture. Although being called names like notorious, revolting, anti-progressive, and shameless, she continues to be a pioneer of bringing the unspeakable aspects of American slavery that are not commonly discussed and are left out of the history books to the foreground of public discussion.

The Whitney Museum of American Art has often been referred to a citadel of American Art, partially due to the museums façade, a striking granite building (Figure 1), designed by Bauhaus trained architect Marcel Breuer. The museum perpetuates this reference through its biennial review of contemporary American Art, which the Whitney has become most famous for. The biennial has become since its inception a measure of the state of contemporary art in America today.

Jan van Eyck was active since 1422 and died in 1441. He was the most celebrated painter of the fifteen-century in Europe. One of his famous works is “The Last Judgment”. At first sight this work immediately attracted my attention. The painting’s stunning colors and the fact that it reminded me of a previous similar work I have seen, triggered in my mind. The material that is used is oil on canvas, transferred from wood. The size of this work is 22 1/4 *7 2/3 in. (56.5 * 19.7cm).