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