Harlem,
New York was the birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance
began in the 1920s and expanded through the late 1930’s. This movement was an
influence of African American Art being celebrated amongst the community that
expanded beyond Harlem. The movement was closely tied to challenging African
American stereotypes and challenging laws that segregated the African American communities
in America. Hutchinson argues, “The Harlem Renaissance is unusual among
literary and artistic movements for its close relationship to civil rights and
reform organizations” (2022). This was an expansive movement that created a
flourishing medium for African Americans through the language of Art.
The
Harlem Renaissance was just one of myriad roadways that helped lead to the fight
for Civil Rights to combat racism, Jim Crow Laws, and combatting systemic
racism. Three works of art that I chose express African American life and how the
community aimed to viewed positively by those who opposed them: Allan Rohan Crite’s,
School’s Out, Augusta Savage’s, Realization, and Aaron Douglas’,
Aspirations. These three works of art encompass the spirit of African
American Influence during the Harlem Renaissance through black artists.
Allan
Rohan Crite’s, Schools Out, gives viewers the perspective of what school
time appeared as in African American communities. Black communities were often
stereotyped as violent, incompetent, and as villains – whereas this visual art
piece gives us a sense of community. Shira Wolfe states, “half a million
African-Americans had left the American South for industrialized Northern
cities like New York, … in search of employment and communities less rife with
bigotry” (2022). In this painting we are seeing community in a Boston town amongst
the black community. The contrast between the people and the background highlights
a peaceful harmony amongst the black community as they endure everyday life in
school (as a teacher and/or a student). The round shapes of the bodies and faces
create a peaceful tone that outlines the community to be a harmonious one. The
depth of the buildings creates the reality of how close they were to their
school buildings and homes with attention to detail to the materials used to
create these buildings. The closeness to detail suggests strong ties to
buildings and events that would help raise the African Community such as education.
Augusta
Savage’s, Realization is a sculpture that was created in New York City.
This sculpture shows African Americans in deep thought. An African American man
and woman are leaning on one another while they possibly think of all the
wrongs that have been done to their community. The mass of the sculpture that
appears to be life size suggests that this is the idea Savage was trying to
inspire with her art. The life size suggests the severity of discussing this
issue and why she had to use art to portray African Americans as people – as they
were often treated less than regardless that slavery had ended. The emphasis on
the facial expressions is shock and mourning as there are lot of events to reflect
on and challenge as the African American community creates a path to the Civil
Rights Era. The material appears to be soft and represents the human condition
and how it can break down communities when they are targeted with racist rhetoric.
Gage notates, “Sadly, it seems that many of Savage’s sculptures have not
survived, because she lacked resources during her lifetime to cast them more
permanently in metal, and also because she destroyed much of her work” (2016).
Not every black artist was given proper recognition during the Harlem Renaissance
and minimal information is known about the moving pieces of art. Each art African
American Art piece is central to understanding how the Civil Rights Era formed
and where it stemmed from throughout the United States.
Aaron
Douglas’, Aspirations blends Egyptian mythology and African American
imagery with one another. The color is vibrant and gives the viewer a sense of
celebration, excitement, and embracement of the culture. The shapes and lines
are curvy and circular creating a happy and peaceful effect that is contagious
each time you take a gander at the visual art. The contrast between the
background and the people gives you multiple instances to look at as you view
this through the lens of celebrating African-American culture. As the title of
the art suggests, there is an aspiration to reach the star, and be seen in the
same light that artist views African American culture. Visual art was one of
many forms in which black artists would challenge stereotypes. Hutchinson stipulates,
“Visual artists of the Harlem Renaissance, like the dramatists, attempted to
win control over representation of their people from white caricature and
denigration while developing a new repertoire of images” (2022). Visual art gave
the power back to black artists to create their own narrative and express their
own truth that were not muddled through racism and politics.
In
conclusion, the Harlem Renaissance created powerful imagery that was expressed
through the influence of African American artists challenging dangerous stereotypes.
I would likely not own these 3 pieces of art; however, I would appreciate them
being displayed in museums (as two already are) that celebrate the inspiration
of African American art and explores the Harlem Renaissance in more depth. School’s
Out, Realization, and Aspirations are all moving pieces with different
stories to tell. My favorite of the 3 is Aspirations with the mythological
context and the contrast of reaching for the stars.
References
Archives of American Art. “Augusta Savage with Her Sculpture Realization.” American Art, The Federal Art Project, https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/items/detail/augusta-savage-her-sculpture-realization-2371#:~:text=Augusta%20Savage%20with%20her%20sculpture%20Realization%2C%20circa%201938.,of%20American%20Art%2C%20Smithsonian%20Institution.
Carolyn Gage. “Realization by Augusta Savage.” Carolyn Gage, Weebly, 2016, https://carolyngage.weebly.com/blog/realization-by-augusta-savage.
Crite, Allan Rohan. “School's Out.” Smithsonian American Art
Museum, 2022, https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/schools-out-5965.
de Young Museum. “Celebrate Black History Month and See Aaron Douglas's ‘Aspiration.’” De Young Museum, 12 May 2020, https://deyoung.famsf.org/deyoung/announcements/see-aaron-douglass-aspiration-de-young-galleries#:~:text=Aspiration%20(1936)%2C%20by%20the,Texas%20Centennial%20Exposition%20in%20Dallas.
Hutchinson, George. “Harlem Renaissance: African American Literature and Art.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 6 Oct. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/event/Harlem-Renaissance-American-literature-and-art/Visual-art.
Wolfe, Shira. “Art Movement: Harlem Renaissance Art.” Artland Magazine, 26 Sept. 2022, https://magazine.artland.com/art-movement-harlem-renaissance/.
I think that The Harlem Renaissance is so significant partly because it was one of the first times that the reality and lives of African Americans, specifically in the United States, were portrayed BY African Americans' voices. Not only was it put out there, but it was really seen by people and spread outside of Harlem and into other major metropolitan areas. It portrays their lives in a way that contrasts how they had typically been portrayed in the centuries and decades prior. The artistic elements such as the vibrant colors, like in Aspirations and School's Out, and the portrayal of bustling streets, the lively music that came from Harlem during this time, and the literature, all give off lots of energy and excitement.
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