Henry Ossawa Tanner : An African American Artist

Jacob Lawrence was an African American painter, who was known for his portraits of the African American life. He was best known for his series titled, the Migration. Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 7th of 1917. After his parents separated, Lawrence and his younger siblings were put into the foster care system until his mother could support her children in New York. His education into the world of art was not only formal, but informal as well. It was formal because he learned from after-school community workshops at Utopia House and later at the Harlem Art Workshop. However, it was informal because he could observe the rhythms and activity of the streets of Harlem. Not only was he a painter but he was active as a teacher, in contrast Lawrence was active as both a painter and art educator. In 1946, he began teaching at Black Mountain College in North Carolina and would go on to teach at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine and the New School for Social Research in New York. In 1971, Lawrence became a professor of painting at the University of Washington in Seattle. “Later on in his career, he was also known for his serigraphs (silkscreens), many of them versions of series of paintings completed in earlier years, as well as for his book illustrations. Lawrence was still drawing and painting in preparation for still another series of works when he died in Seattle in 2000.” (Capozzola)

Kehinde Wiley is an African-American artist who paints portraits of black and brown people from all over the world. History has largely ignored people of color, and Wiley strives to give black and brown people their aesthetic due and start a conversation about race. Wiley classical portraits often directly resembling famous European works of art. Leviathan Zodiac from Wiley’s The World Stage: Israel series bears a strong resemblance to Augustus of Primaporta of 20 B.C.E.

African Americans always had a great influence in the United States throughout time from the beginning of slavery. African Americans, since the start of slavery, always expressed themselves artistically, where it was through music or art. From making patchwork quilts, slaves used their artistic expression to help conduct the Underground Railroad and escape slavery. To be defined as “illiterate savages” African Americas proved many wrong with their exceptional skills presented in many different styles of artwork. From slavery throughout the 19th century, there were a great number of African Americans whom contributed to the United States through artistic expression, with creating artwork that would either be judged or discredited. For example, Robert S. Duncanson, Edward M. Bannister, Mary Edmonia Lewis, and Henry Ossawa Tanner were all 19th century African American artists who each faced their own individual challenges to achieve acclaim as artists.

The medium used for this work of art is oil. In this technique the oil acts as a binder and causes a quick drying layer that can built upon. The formal elements of a painting include line, color, space, light, texture and pattern. The line appears to be an implied line in which the work creates directional movements from top to bottom. But also forces the viewer to see how the figures stand out and there importance in the painting. The color shows a subtle spectrum with a detailed background from the skies to the mountains to the artist table canvas. The light is somewhat even throughout the painting showing emphasis on every figure holding something in their hands; and more so the final product of the artist that are being captured on the canvas. The visual texture of the painting appears to be smooth and the pattern is decorative and somewhat vibrant. The principle of unity and variety are evident in this painting, the design itself shows a sense of community of important figures throughout African American history. I was drawn to this piece because it embodied the heritage of African American art through history. This painting by Hale Woodruff displays many of the significant contributions that African Americans made to the world of Art. Not necessarily “picture art” but all realms of life art: cooking, liberal arts, politics, labor, law and many more through his vibrant

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, social, and artistic movement that took place in Harlem, New York. This mainly took place starting from the end of the First World War until the mid-1930s. Harlem, at this time, was the center of the African-American culture, and Harlem appealed lot of black artists, writers, scholars, musicians, poets, and photographers. Lots of these artists had fled from the South because they needed to get away from their oppressive caste system so that they could express themselves freely, and display their talents. The Harlem Renaissance was considered to be the “rebirth of African-American arts”. This movement mainly started around 1918 and ended during the mid-1930s. Some of the major writers during this time of the Harlem Renaissance were Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Du Bois, Countee Cullen, Zoe Neale Hurston, and Marcus Gravey. Lots of these themes that these writers wrote about are themes that to this day artists try to make a point of emphasis, including the American Dream, effects of racism on the black population, black identity, and human rights (Wormser).

One artwork that I have chosen to write about is Harriet Tubman by Aaron Douglas. I have selected this artwork because I am drawn to its color. In addition, I have a strong admiration for the subject matter. Looking at this artwork relaxed me and made me feel at peace as I was emotionally hypnotized by the color green. Even after looking at this artwork for a prolonged period of time, my admiration for it did not change. This artwork seems to represent freedom and being at peace.

Rose Kennedy coined the famous statement: “life is not a matter of milestones, but of moments”. Black History month focuses on specific African Americans whom have made an overall national difference within each Americans’ life. However, this month often forgets to praise those African Americans whom have made and are still making a difference within the lives of the people in their community. There is one specific African American lady whom has made a difference within the members of my small community, along with continuing to make a major impact within my life. Her name is Albertnetta Hamilton, and this is her story.

Jacob Lawrence's was born in 1917 and was an acclaimed African-American artist known for his detailed works that included the Migration Series and the War Series (Duggleby 7). His style consisted of water-based paintings portraying African-Americans life experiences in blacks and browns mixed with many bright and bold colors. Lawrence’s inspirations were based on Black Aesthetics and lives of black historical figures.

There are a plethora of inventions and ideas thought of by African-Americans that society uses everyday. One being the invention of the traffic signal by Garrett Morgan. Many inventions and ideas were thought of by African-Americans and then patented by their Masters. It was taught that the owner of the slave not only owned the slave's physical body, but also anything he or she produced, such as thoughts and ideas. After slavery was abolished, many free African-Americans got patents for their inventions and the credit for the ideas that they created. Many famous African-Americans have had a great influence on the world today.

Henry Ossawa Tanner was born in 1859 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is best known for being a successful African American painter during a time in which that was rare. He changed how African Americans were seen in art and he branched out and changed what people would consider to be paintings done by African Americans. He enrolled at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1879, he was the first African American there and attended fulltime. There was a lot of prejudice and racism happening while Tanner was at school. In one incident, some students tied his hands and feet to his easel and put him in the street as a public crucifixion. After this, Tanner continued to go to the school on and off for a couple years but in 1891 Tanner set out

During the late 19th and 20th centuries Blacks in America were debating on the proper way to define and present the Negro to America. Leaders such as Alain Lock, W.E.B. Dubois, Marcus Garvey, and Tuskegee University founder Booker T. Washington all had ideas of a New Negros who was intellectually smart, politically astute, and contributors to society in trade work. All four influential leaders wrote essays to this point of the new Negro and their representations in art and life. In “Art or Propaganda”, Locke pleas not for corrupt or overly cultured art but for art free to serve its own ends, free to choose either "group expression" or "individualistic expression.” (National Humanities Center) In W.E.B. Du Bois speech "Criteria for Negro

The painting, House by the Railroad, by Edward Hopper was completed in 1925. The house he painted was in the style of a Victorian house. The house was built next to railroad tracks. He painted House by the Railroad with oil based paint on a canvas. The artwork is a twenty-four by twenty-nine inches in a frame. When I look at this painting, the first thing I think of is where is it located? It looks like it is in the middle of nowhere but then again it looks like it is in a town because of the railroad tracks. The house is built next to the railroad tracks but there are no trees. The house contains several windows which I think would be neat. In this painting, he uses vertical and horizontal lines. He used vertical lines for the columns of the house and parts of the house. He also uses horizontal lines for parts of the house and the railroad tracks. Many of the lines Edward Hopper painted were medium size. The painting is painted with several figures lined up. If you look at the front of the house, you can tell that it is square on top of another square. The one on the bottom left is also a square but it is bigger. The picture and the lines are very soft. The lines in the picture never seem to overlap each other. The way the sun is in the picture makes it look absolutely beautiful. The sun could be either rising or setting by the look of the artwork. House by the Railroad was painted in the United States. Edward Hopper painted this picture after he came back

From the people in attendance of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes autograph is the one I would most want (The Renaissance, 2016). He existed from February 1902 to May 1967. He had vast talents making him my favorite. He was a poet, novelist, playwright, columnist, and a social activist. He is the most famous person associated with Harlem Renaissance and among the most influential leaders of the movement. He famously wrote about the period when the Negro was in vogue (Watson, 1995). I selected him as he was among the earliest in jazz poetry and also his works portrayed lives of the middle-class African Americans. He also won a lot of honors and awards and was well educated (Hughes, 1994). Howard University awarded Langston an honorary

Art is a very realistic aspect among the Native Americans. In fact, what we call primitive art is actually symbolic objects from the process of a sacred ceremony. This concept is one not easily understood. Furthermore, this concept by Sam Gill is explained in Native American Religions. Sam Gill shows that Native American Art is different in meaning because of its contents then what modern societies consider art. Nonliterate people produce objects of beauty through ceremonial performances and rituals that keeps the cosmos in order, while modern societies over look these factors.

African Art does not have specific date to which it evolved because most early African Art was carved in wood, which perished quickly. This is why most art dates from the 19th and early 20th century. Many 20th century artists admired and collected pieces of African Art. They enjoyed the bold color, expression, and form that produced a new beginning in art history. African Art was mostly dedicated to life affirming activities such as healing, pleasure, protection, and transformation.