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With the proliferation of portraits and other sorts of figurative painting, it’s clear that Black artists have developed a yet untitled art movement, that I’d like to call Portrayalism, a movement of representation, that includes the Black image in the western art canon en masse. Though Black people have always made art, in western society their art has been “Othered” as primitive and fetishized by European artists from Cezanne to Picasso. With a plethora of institutions where the portraits of white nobility can be viewed in gallery upon gallery in museums across the western world, the invisibility of the Other is starkly apparent. In these galleries of historical record, it is as if white people are the only ones who are important enough to be recorded and displayed. Yes, there were artists who placed images of Black bodies on canvas, but more often than not they are there as support for the central figure who is often white.

Read more at: www.blackartinamerica.com

#blackartinamerica #blackart #blackartists #potraits

With the proliferation of portraits and other sorts of figurative painting, it’s clear that Black artists have developed a yet untitled art movement, that I’d like to call Portrayalism, a movement of representation, that includes the Black image in the western art canon en masse. Though Black people have always made art, in western society their art has been “Othered” as primitive and fetishized by European artists from Cezanne to Picasso. With a plethora of institutions where the portraits of white nobility can be viewed in gallery upon gallery in museums across the western world, the invisibility of the Other is starkly apparent. In these galleries of historical record, it is as if white people are the only ones who are important enough to be recorded and displayed. Yes, there were artists who placed images of Black bodies on canvas, but more often than not they are there as support for the central figure who is often white.

Read more at: www.blackartinamerica.com

#blackartinamerica #blackart #blackartists #potraits

With these photographs, Box wants to address the commodification of food items exported to diasporic Caribbean communities around the world. (She named the series after a company that does this exporting.) Whereas Dutch still lifes depicted wealth and decadence, Box’s versions show how her experience as a diasporic Jamaican, who immigrated to New Jersey as a child, has itself been commodified and fabricated.

With these photographs, Box wants to address the commodification of food items exported to diasporic Caribbean communities around the world. (She named the series after a company that does this exporting.) Whereas Dutch still lifes depicted wealth and decadence, Box’s versions show how her experience as a diasporic Jamaican, who immigrated to New Jersey as a child, has itself been commodified and fabricated.

#blackart #blackartist #blackartists# blackartmatters #blackartististry #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #contemporaryartists

#blackart #blackartist #blackartists# blackartmatters #blackartististry #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #contemporaryartists

Introducing…Dr. Shantay Robinson!!!! Today I defended my dissertation. It was hard but very worth it. I look forward to continuing my reasearch in visual rhetoric. Thank you so much to my family whose love, support, and prayers are invaluable. To my friends who listened to my gripes during this process. And a thousand thanks to my committee Doug Eyman, Courtney Adams Wooten, and Wendi Manuel-Scott for seeing my vision and pushing me toward it. But most importantly, thank God. I couldn’t imagine this moment 24 years ago. But God saw something worth saving in me. And I’ll do my best to make all of us proud.

Introducing…Dr. Shantay Robinson!!!! Today I defended my dissertation. It was hard but very worth it. I look forward to continuing my reasearch in visual rhetoric. Thank you so much to my family whose love, support, and prayers are invaluable. To my friends who listened to my gripes during this process. And a thousand thanks to my committee Doug Eyman, Courtney Adams Wooten, and Wendi Manuel-Scott for seeing my vision and pushing me toward it. But most importantly, thank God. I couldn’t imagine this moment 24 years ago. But God saw something worth saving in me. And I’ll do my best to make all of us proud.

Hank Willis Thomas is a conceptual artist working with various media, including photography, neon, and bronze sculpture, focusing on themes related to identity, commodification, media, and popular culture. Thomas’ early work Branded, in 2006, dealt with the commodity culture of Black bodies. His public monument in Boston, Embrace, depicting the arms of Martin Luther King, Jr. hugging Coretta Scott King, was unveiled to great criticism. The monument made Thomas’ name recognizable to those outside art circles. His other permanent sculptures at O’Hare International Airport, Miami Underline, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and several other sites all embody sentiments of love and equality. Thomas’ most recognizable public sculpture might be his large afro pick, All Power to All People, at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

Hank Willis Thomas is a conceptual artist working with various media, including photography, neon, and bronze sculpture, focusing on themes related to identity, commodification, media, and popular culture. Thomas’ early work Branded, in 2006, dealt with the commodity culture of Black bodies. His public monument in Boston, Embrace, depicting the arms of Martin Luther King, Jr. hugging Coretta Scott King, was unveiled to great criticism. The monument made Thomas’ name recognizable to those outside art circles. His other permanent sculptures at O’Hare International Airport, Miami Underline, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and several other sites all embody sentiments of love and equality. Thomas’ most recognizable public sculpture might be his large afro pick, All Power to All People, at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

“Voting Line” by Charly Palmer

Today’s the day. Be sure to vote today if you haven’t already. Your vote is your voice. Tell them what you want. #kamalaharris2024

“Voting Line” by Charly Palmer

Today’s the day. Be sure to vote today if you haven’t already. Your vote is your voice. Tell them what you want. #kamalaharris2024

#art #contemporaryart #arthistory #artist #artists #contemporaryartists #inspiration #inspirationalquotes #visualart #contemporaryvisualart

#art #contemporaryart #arthistory #artist #artists #contemporaryartists #inspiration #inspirationalquotes #visualart #contemporaryvisualart

In 2022, Ebony G. Patterson exhibited ". . . and the dew cracks the earth, in five acts of lamentation . . . between the cuts . . . beneath the leaves . . . below the soil . . . " at ICA Watershed’s Revival: Materials and Monumental Form, large-scale installations by six artists, including El Anatsui, Madeline Hollander, Ibrahim Mahama, Karyn Oliver, and Joe Wardwell. The aim of the exhibition was to recycle industrial and quotidian materials to create artworks inspired by the Watershed building’s history as a mixed-use space. Patterson’s contribution to the exhibition were elaborate collages featuring flowers, birds, butterflies and figures.

Patterson is a renowned Jamaican-born multimedia artist whose pageantry has afforded her several solo exhibitions in spaces like Perez Art Museum Miami and New York Botanical Garden. Her work is in the collections of The Whitney Museum of American Art, Studio Museum in Harlem, and SFMOMA, as well as many other museums.

#ebonygpatterson #blackart #blackartist #blackexcellence #blackartists #blackartmatters #blackartistry

In 2022, Ebony G. Patterson exhibited ". . . and the dew cracks the earth, in five acts of lamentation . . . between the cuts . . . beneath the leaves . . . below the soil . . . " at ICA Watershed’s Revival: Materials and Monumental Form, large-scale installations by six artists, including El Anatsui, Madeline Hollander, Ibrahim Mahama, Karyn Oliver, and Joe Wardwell. The aim of the exhibition was to recycle industrial and quotidian materials to create artworks inspired by the Watershed building’s history as a mixed-use space. Patterson’s contribution to the exhibition were elaborate collages featuring flowers, birds, butterflies and figures.

Patterson is a renowned Jamaican-born multimedia artist whose pageantry has afforded her several solo exhibitions in spaces like Perez Art Museum Miami and New York Botanical Garden. Her work is in the collections of The Whitney Museum of American Art, Studio Museum in Harlem, and SFMOMA, as well as many other museums.

#ebonygpatterson #blackart #blackartist #blackexcellence #blackartists #blackartmatters #blackartistry

@aaconteh #blackart #blackartist #blackartists #blackarts #blackartinamerica #blackartinamerica_

@aaconteh #blackart #blackartist #blackartists #blackarts #blackartinamerica #blackartinamerica_

Black Art in America’s Atlanta Fine Art Print Fair is in DC at Eaton Hotel. There are a wealth of beautiful prints for purchase. They will only be there till Sunday. Be sure to pick up a Black Art in America newspaper, featuring an article by yours truly.

#blackartinamerica #blackart #blackartists

Black Art in America’s Atlanta Fine Art Print Fair is in DC at Eaton Hotel. There are a wealth of beautiful prints for purchase. They will only be there till Sunday. Be sure to pick up a Black Art in America newspaper, featuring an article by yours truly.

#blackartinamerica #blackart #blackartists

Glenn Ligon (b. 1960)

Best known for his textual paintings and neon signs, Glenn Ligon has been a formidable artist since the early 1990s. His text-based paintings borrow verbiage from well-known personalities, including James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, and Richard Pryor. In 2005, he began making neon artworks using phrases from texts by authors, including Gertrude Stein. Ligon who lives and works in New York City, grew up in the Bronx where the influence of graffiti on Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work gave him permission to create text-based art.

#glennligon #blackart #blackartist #blackexcellence #blackartists #blackartmatters #blackartistry

Glenn Ligon (b. 1960)

Best known for his textual paintings and neon signs, Glenn Ligon has been a formidable artist since the early 1990s. His text-based paintings borrow verbiage from well-known personalities, including James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, and Richard Pryor. In 2005, he began making neon artworks using phrases from texts by authors, including Gertrude Stein. Ligon who lives and works in New York City, grew up in the Bronx where the influence of graffiti on Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work gave him permission to create text-based art.

#glennligon #blackart #blackartist #blackexcellence #blackartists #blackartmatters #blackartistry

Rest in peace, Richard Mayhew. Through your beautiful mindscapes we’ll forever see you.

#richardmayhew

Rest in peace, Richard Mayhew. Through your beautiful mindscapes we’ll forever see you.

#richardmayhew

Earlier this year, Vienna based artist, Amoako Boafo’s exhibition, The one that got away, was held in Mexico City at the Mariane Ibrahim Gallery. The namesake of the gallery, a Somali-French art dealer, discovered Boafo on social media and was drawn in by his innovation in depicting Black skin. While audiences may be aware of his portrait painting, as this is his third solo show with the Chicago-based gallery, this exhibition offers Boafo’s fresh treatment of mosaic and stained-glass. What remains true to the artists’ oeuvre is the finger painting of Black skin with shades of brown and blue sinuous lines that depict flesh.
#amoakoboafo #blackart #blackartist #blackartists #blackartmatters #blackartististry

Earlier this year, Vienna based artist, Amoako Boafo’s exhibition, The one that got away, was held in Mexico City at the Mariane Ibrahim Gallery. The namesake of the gallery, a Somali-French art dealer, discovered Boafo on social media and was drawn in by his innovation in depicting Black skin. While audiences may be aware of his portrait painting, as this is his third solo show with the Chicago-based gallery, this exhibition offers Boafo’s fresh treatment of mosaic and stained-glass. What remains true to the artists’ oeuvre is the finger painting of Black skin with shades of brown and blue sinuous lines that depict flesh.
#amoakoboafo #blackart #blackartist #blackartists #blackartmatters #blackartististry

#art #contemporaryart #arthistory #artist #artists #contemporaryartists #inspiration #inspirationalquotes #visualart #contemporaryvisualart

#art #contemporaryart #arthistory #artist #artists #contemporaryartists #inspiration #inspirationalquotes #visualart #contemporaryvisualart

Wangechi Mutu (b. 1972)

Wangechi Mutu, a Kenyan American artist, uses painting, sculpture, film, and performance work to investigate themes of gender, race, and colonialism. Her work largely centers around Black women reclaiming their disparaged identity. Mutu is regarded as an Afrofuturist for the themes present in her work and their imaginative envisioning of alternate realities. Mutu earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from Cooper Union and a Master of Fine Art from Yale School of Art.

#wangechimutu #blackart #blackartist #blackartists #blackartmatters #blackartististry

Wangechi Mutu (b. 1972)

Wangechi Mutu, a Kenyan American artist, uses painting, sculpture, film, and performance work to investigate themes of gender, race, and colonialism. Her work largely centers around Black women reclaiming their disparaged identity. Mutu is regarded as an Afrofuturist for the themes present in her work and their imaginative envisioning of alternate realities. Mutu earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from Cooper Union and a Master of Fine Art from Yale School of Art.

#wangechimutu #blackart #blackartist #blackartists #blackartmatters #blackartististry

Originally from Denver Colorado, Jordan Casteel attended Agnes Scott College, Yale University School of Art, and earned a residency at the Studio Museum during the 2015-2016 season. She had her first solo museum exhibition, Returning the Gaze, in 2019 at Denver Art Museum and her first New York solo exhibition, Jordan Casteel: Within Reach, in 2020 at the New Museum. In 2021, she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship.

#jordancasteel #blackart #blackartist #blackexcellence #blackartists #blackartmatters #blackartistry

Originally from Denver Colorado, Jordan Casteel attended Agnes Scott College, Yale University School of Art, and earned a residency at the Studio Museum during the 2015-2016 season. She had her first solo museum exhibition, Returning the Gaze, in 2019 at Denver Art Museum and her first New York solo exhibition, Jordan Casteel: Within Reach, in 2020 at the New Museum. In 2021, she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship.

#jordancasteel #blackart #blackartist #blackexcellence #blackartists #blackartmatters #blackartistry

Read more at www.thethirdeyesite.com

Read more at www.thethirdeyesite.com

Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage at The Phillips Collection was such a great exhibition I bought the catalog. I had to take it home with me. The catalog offers examples of additional collages by artists, including Deborah Roberts, Wangechi Mutu, and Kara Walker and also includes essays by Richard J. Powell, Rebecca VanDiver, Valerie Cassel Oliver and others. It is truly a dynamic exhibition. If you have a chance, go see it. Otherwise, you can purchase this lovely catalog. It closes on September 22.

Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage at The Phillips Collection was such a great exhibition I bought the catalog. I had to take it home with me. The catalog offers examples of additional collages by artists, including Deborah Roberts, Wangechi Mutu, and Kara Walker and also includes essays by Richard J. Powell, Rebecca VanDiver, Valerie Cassel Oliver and others. It is truly a dynamic exhibition. If you have a chance, go see it. Otherwise, you can purchase this lovely catalog. It closes on September 22.

Because I want to decorate my home with art on a limited budget, I’ve decided to collect fine art prints. They come in limited editions, so I’m betting they will become increasingly valuable as the careers of the emerging artists in my collection advance. The prints in my collection are of a limited quantity. So, there is a finite number of them circulating in the world, which makes them more valuable. While fine art can be expensive, a wise alternative is collecting fine art prints that are somewhat scarce yet not as costly as paintings or sculptures. Acquiring fine art prints is a way to collect valuable art that could be worth a return on an investment in the future. Not all reproductions are equal, though. Many companies loudly touting art prints are selling reproductions that have little resale value. Below are some tips for selecting quality prints of value to add to your art collection.

Read the full article at: www.blackartinamerica.com

Because I want to decorate my home with art on a limited budget, I’ve decided to collect fine art prints. They come in limited editions, so I’m betting they will become increasingly valuable as the careers of the emerging artists in my collection advance. The prints in my collection are of a limited quantity. So, there is a finite number of them circulating in the world, which makes them more valuable. While fine art can be expensive, a wise alternative is collecting fine art prints that are somewhat scarce yet not as costly as paintings or sculptures. Acquiring fine art prints is a way to collect valuable art that could be worth a return on an investment in the future. Not all reproductions are equal, though. Many companies loudly touting art prints are selling reproductions that have little resale value. Below are some tips for selecting quality prints of value to add to your art collection.

Read the full article at: www.blackartinamerica.com

“Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage” at the Phillips Collection is filled with artistic mastery by artists, including Kerry James Marshall, Wangechi Mutu, Mickalene Thomas, Deborah Roberts, Lorna Simpson, and so many more. These artists have elevated collage in ways that advance the medium. The conceptual work that is put into these artworks are a great addition to the technical ability of the artists. The way these artists use collage in such brilliant ways is awesome. If you’re in the area, this is a must see. It might even be one you want to travel for. This exhibition closes on September 22.

#contemporaryart #blackarts #blackartists #collageartists #collage #collageart

“Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage” at the Phillips Collection is filled with artistic mastery by artists, including Kerry James Marshall, Wangechi Mutu, Mickalene Thomas, Deborah Roberts, Lorna Simpson, and so many more. These artists have elevated collage in ways that advance the medium. The conceptual work that is put into these artworks are a great addition to the technical ability of the artists. The way these artists use collage in such brilliant ways is awesome. If you’re in the area, this is a must see. It might even be one you want to travel for. This exhibition closes on September 22.

#contemporaryart #blackarts #blackartists #collageartists #collage #collageart

I took a trip to the Baltimore Museum of Art today to see Joyce J. Scott’s 50year retrospective. Although I wasn’t familiar with her until today, I must say her work has me thinking a lot about artists of her generation and the stories they needed to tell. If you’re in the area, I recommend witnessing these intricately beaded, crotched, quilted, and weaved constructions in person. Show closes July 14.

I took a trip to the Baltimore Museum of Art today to see Joyce J. Scott’s 50year retrospective. Although I wasn’t familiar with her until today, I must say her work has me thinking a lot about artists of her generation and the stories they needed to tell. If you’re in the area, I recommend witnessing these intricately beaded, crotched, quilted, and weaved constructions in person. Show closes July 14.

Next year will mark the 100 year anniversary of Alain Locke’s seminal essay “The New Negro,” so I thought about whether his thoughts still resonate with the contemporary movement in art. Read my latest article for Black Art in America.

#blackartinamerica #blackart #blackartists

Next year will mark the 100 year anniversary of Alain Locke’s seminal essay “The New Negro,” so I thought about whether his thoughts still resonate with the contemporary movement in art. Read my latest article for Black Art in America.

#blackartinamerica #blackart #blackartists

I finally saw The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition, The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism. I was so happy to see and discover art and artists I was not aware of. I especially appreciate Aaron Douglas’ watercolor painting, Still Life. I saw his watercolor work at the Driskell Center and I loved that work too. I’d love to see more of that. I also discovered Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr. who also paints with watercolor. It is so exciting to see this history being appreciated by so many.

I finally saw The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition, The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism. I was so happy to see and discover art and artists I was not aware of. I especially appreciate Aaron Douglas’ watercolor painting, Still Life. I saw his watercolor work at the Driskell Center and I loved that work too. I’d love to see more of that. I also discovered Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr. who also paints with watercolor. It is so exciting to see this history being appreciated by so many.

Oh, Hugo McCloud’s work at Sean Kelly Gallery is so pretty. Beautiful detailed still life’s and abstract pieces made from plastic bags. So carefully done. And the color palette is so fresh and clean.

Oh, Hugo McCloud’s work at Sean Kelly Gallery is so pretty. Beautiful detailed still life’s and abstract pieces made from plastic bags. So carefully done. And the color palette is so fresh and clean.

Here's my latest article for ARTnews. This article was really a labor of love. Though Black folks in America are still having firsts, we must learn from our history. Looking back at how African Americans were able to survive, but much more make art and culture and beauty is pure pleasure for me. I hope you enjoy this read as much as I enjoyed writing it. The link is in my bio.

Here's my latest article for ARTnews. This article was really a labor of love. Though Black folks in America are still having firsts, we must learn from our history. Looking back at how African Americans were able to survive, but much more make art and culture and beauty is pure pleasure for me. I hope you enjoy this read as much as I enjoyed writing it. The link is in my bio.

Here’s my latest for Washington City Paper. if you're in the DC area, stopping by the David C. Driskell Center to see this exhibit is a good move. It does not disappoint. It's up until May 24.

Here’s my latest for Washington City Paper. if you're in the DC area, stopping by the David C. Driskell Center to see this exhibit is a good move. It does not disappoint. It's up until May 24.

Faith Ringgold was more than an artist, she was an activist who fought for the rights of the oppressed, whether they were Black people or women. Faith Ringgold will be remembered on the right side of history. Rest in Power.

#faithringgold #blackarts #blackartists

Faith Ringgold was more than an artist, she was an activist who fought for the rights of the oppressed, whether they were Black people or women. Faith Ringgold will be remembered on the right side of history. Rest in Power.

#faithringgold #blackarts #blackartists

Last week, I came across this beautiful artistic documentary film about Frida Kahlo titled, Frida. It takes the entries from her journals and her artwork to illustrate the story of her life, so it’s sort of autobiography. I’d seen the fictional account of her life with Salma Hayek years ago, but hearing Frida’s story in her own words is just captivating. If you haven’t seen it, check out this magnificent film on Amazon Prime. I’m definitely watching it again.

Last week, I came across this beautiful artistic documentary film about Frida Kahlo titled, Frida. It takes the entries from her journals and her artwork to illustrate the story of her life, so it’s sort of autobiography. I’d seen the fictional account of her life with Salma Hayek years ago, but hearing Frida’s story in her own words is just captivating. If you haven’t seen it, check out this magnificent film on Amazon Prime. I’m definitely watching it again.

Here’s my latest with Smithsonian Magazine.

#blackart #africanamericanart #blackartists #williamhjohnson

Here’s my latest with Smithsonian Magazine.

#blackart #africanamericanart #blackartists #williamhjohnson

Theaster Gates (b. 1973) is known as a social practice installation artist, but he also identifies himself as a potter. He is widely recognized for the work he’s done rehabilitating buildings on the South Side of Chicago and turning them into art spaces through his nonprofit, Rebuild Foundation. Stony Island Arts Bank, an actual bank he acquired for one dollar before its demolition is a central arts space in the community for exhibitions and gatherings, as well as housing the record collection of Frankie Knuckles, the Godfather of House Music; the book collection of Ebony and Jet founder, John H. Johnson; and the slide collection from the University of Chicago and Art Institute of Chicago. Gates started out as a potter, becoming known by hosting Plate Convergences events where people had meals on the plates he created. But he also rescues materials, as used in Amalgam, an installation of 70 pillars made from trees that were designated as useless.

Theaster Gates (b. 1973) is known as a social practice installation artist, but he also identifies himself as a potter. He is widely recognized for the work he’s done rehabilitating buildings on the South Side of Chicago and turning them into art spaces through his nonprofit, Rebuild Foundation. Stony Island Arts Bank, an actual bank he acquired for one dollar before its demolition is a central arts space in the community for exhibitions and gatherings, as well as housing the record collection of Frankie Knuckles, the Godfather of House Music; the book collection of Ebony and Jet founder, John H. Johnson; and the slide collection from the University of Chicago and Art Institute of Chicago. Gates started out as a potter, becoming known by hosting Plate Convergences events where people had meals on the plates he created. But he also rescues materials, as used in Amalgam, an installation of 70 pillars made from trees that were designated as useless.

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