Tons more african american art - posters, prints, framed artwork, giclee prints, tin signs here:






Buy at AllPosters.com

Buy at AllPosters.com

The African American art world has had a profound, yet sometimes an overlooked effect on the American community throughout history.

African American artists have chronicled the struggles and the achievements of African Americans throughout the past several hundred years. The University of Southern California states "Less attention has probably been paid to African American artists than to their counterparts in literature and music, yet their contributions have also been significant in the development of American culture." Many African American artists have documented their American experience through their painting, writing, architecture and many other forms of art. Paul R. Williams was one such artist. An architect that was born in 1894, he became one of the foremost architects in Southern California. He created a staggering amount of projects in his 60 year career. Williams designed over 2000 residences and many commercial buildings both in Southern California and elsewhere. Many of Williams's projects were very high profile projects. The famous Shrine Auditorium, the Hollywood YMCA and the Los Angeles County Court House are three designs that have propelled this architect to the realm of the elite. Williams's effect on American architecture has lived on since his death in 1980. Among Williams other projects are the United Nations building in Paris, the MCA building in Beverly Hills, CA and the Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills Ca. All of these buildings are worth a visit to see Williams style.

Many African American artists have used African themes in their art. One such artist is Claude Clark. Born in 1945, Clark has been in the African American art scene for over 50 years. His place in art history was cemented with his leadership in the 60s during the civil rights struggles. Clark studied art under the direction of Dr. Albert C Barnes between the years of 1939 and 1944. Dr. Barnes was a well known collector of art. Barnes founded the Barnes school of Art through his foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania. It was during this time with Barnes that Claude Clark honed his painting skills and became interested in African Art. Clark also enjoyed painting around themes of the struggles for African Americans in the Deep South and also enjoyed painting Caribbean subjects. In later years, Claude Clark taught as Associate Professor of Art Talladega College in the 1940's and 50's. Claude Clark enjoyed a long career and died in 2001.

Many believe the most prominent African American painter in US history was Jacob Lawrence. Lawrence's work was primarily based in US history and documented the themes of slavery and racial oppression. Lawrence was one of the first African American painters to gain national prominence. His paintings have kept him in the public eye for the better half of 60 years. Lawrence gained popularity as a very young age. In his 20s, Lawrence gained national attention for his exhibition titled "The Migration of the Negro". This was a series of 60 paintings that was sold to the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Phillips Collection in Washington DC. Lawrence was an integral part of the great Harlem Renaissance. He studied at the Harlem Art Workshop where he met many like minded artists that shaped his work for years to come. It was during these years that he met the painter Gwendolyn Knight who became his wife for the next 59 years. The most famous work from Lawrence was titled The Migration Series. The series begins and ends with the images of the railroad station. The work shows the South and represent the migration North and the massive number of African Americans making this journey. The project shows the despair of working in the agriculture of the South and the hardships endured. The paintings show the poverty and the motivation that gave African Americans the need to move north. When the paintings depict the North, they show the exploitation of African Americans in dangerous industries and tough living conditions. The hope for a better life is the motivation that kept them going but the struggles are the same as in the South with just a different location and different surroundings. All of these artists are only a few of the many African Americans that had a profound effect on the art world in American in the last century. Their art lives on to tell the stories of the African American experience.

Douglas Todd is a contributing writer for African American Art

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Todd

People who find themselves displaced from their homeland and transferred to a foreign country would need to exert a lot of effort at "assimilating" the local culture. This is because doing so may involve disregarding their own set of beliefs so that they would be able to conform to the culture of their "new" country. African Americans had to shift their understanding of art so that their artistic creations would be appreciated in America. To better understand this concept, an appreciation of the history of African American art is needed.

Art in the time of slavery

The period of slavery in America saw how many African Americans had to shift their paradigms with regard to art, sticking to what were the accepted forms of art in America, which were mostly influenced by Europe. During this time, the African American artists were defined as "slave artisans with other skills such as quilt making." However, this definition later changed to "painters of white families' portraits," and in some cases, the painters were called "portrait painters of well-to-do free persons of color." Some of these painters gained acclaim and were able to buy their freedom from their masters by bartering their artwork.

After the Civil War

In the period after the Civil War, many African American artists were being recognized for their talent. Up to the 1920s, most of the artists of this time produced works that were displayed in museums and studios. However, the works that were produced during these times still conformed with European tradition and the training that these artists received were still mainly characterized as European.

"The Harlem Renaissance"

In the late 1920s, different African American artists formed a movement called Negro or Harlem Renaissance. This opened the door for African American art, in the form of literature, music, knowledge and visual arts, to become explored and rediscovered, which also led to the upliftment of the individuality of African Americans as a people. The decade that followed this was considered the "Renaissance" of African American art, where artists broke free from foreign influences to discover their own unique art form. From this period on, African American artists were free to express themselves based on what has been discovered during this "Renaissance."

The rough path that Black artists in America had to take is a testament to what they had to undergo to "regain" their identity as a people. Give this, the history of African American art shows not only the struggles of Black artists towards freedom from foreign influences but also of self-discovery.

African Art provides detailed information on African Art, African Tribal Art, African Wildlife Art, African American Art and more. African Art is affiliated with Abstract Art Paintings.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman

When people speak of African American Art, normally they are referring to a racial phenomenon, with paintings, sculptures, graphic arts, and crafts all rolled into one product. The truth is that just as the Blues influenced all American music, Art by persons of African descent has help to shape the cultural and social traditions of American Art. Of course, young people today are heavy into hip-hop, but the Blues is still going strong. If young people do not want to listen to the Blues they should at least know that the city of Memphis is keeping the Blues alive. They all need to visit Beale Street in Memphis at least one time. Memphis was the place where blues performers first brought the Blues to national attention and the Blues is still going strong.

Because people of African descent had to evolve with the weight of Slavery and Jim Crow on their shoulders, it is amazing that African American Art has grown to be such a force in the world of art. African American Artist, despite the adversities, has made outstanding creative contributions to the American Society. Racial bias for a long time prevented the majority of African Americans Artist from receiving recognition and acceptance, yet as early as the eighteenth century Blacks worked in the field of painting and woodcarving. In the latter part of the nineteenth century a number of African American Artist became distinguished painters and sculptors.

What most people don't realize is that the people of African decent who were brought to America were genetically equipped to work in the creative art fields. Most African bought to America came from West Africa. This section of Africa was highly developed in the arts. As a daily part of cultural life, wood-carvers, metalworkers designed the images, totem animals and other objects that were so important tribal life. The designers and weavers of the African appeal could have given any of the "fashion big boys" a run for their money. In tracing the roots of American Art, it is acknowledged that concepts flowed from Egypt to Mesopotamia, Greece and finally to Rome. Westerners seem to forget that Egypt is in Africa, and the biggest influence on Egypt was sub-Sahara Africa.

African American Art has followed the path through cotton patches of the South and to the city streets of Harlem, New York. Most of the African American "greats" passed through Harlem. At that time it was called: "The New Negro Movement". It is said that the blooming of African American social thought happened in Harlem during the 1920's to 1930's. Literature, theater, dance, painting and sculpture all begin to have a profound influence through out the United States and even around the world. There are too many outstanding artist associated with the Harlem Renaissance to list, but I will leave you with a short list and you can do further research:

William H. Johnson Painter
Sargent Claude Johnson Sculptor
Jacob Lawrence Painter
Lois Mailou Jones Painter
Archibald Motley Painter
Romare Bearden Painter

Herman Wheeler
http://www.blackartwheelonline.com

Recently retired from AT&T as a technician. Began trying to make a go on the internet only a few months ago. Like most newbies, I had no idea what I was getting into. Now that the shock is over, I feel confident that I made the correct choice for an after-retirement profession.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Herman_Wheeler