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 Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) MP Signed, titled and dated '"MP" Jean Michel Basquiat 1984' (on the reverse) Acrylic and Xerox collage on canvas 86 x 68 in. (218.4 x 172.8 cm.) Let's keep this introduction simple: this post is jam-packed with some awesome artists and their artwork. This post is in honor of Black History Month, and featuring some of my favorite artists and new ones I have discovered recently. Kehinde Wiley Kehinde Wiley (American, b. 1977) St. Dionysus, 2006 Oil on canvas with carved and painted frame 72 × 60 in. (182.88 × 152.4 cm)
Kehinde Wiley has been one of my favorite artists since seeing his painting of St. Dionysus (pictured above) at the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) in high school. I remembered as I walked throughout the MAM, that his painting of St. Dionysus stood out the most for its detail, intricate patterns, and bright and radiant colors. One of his most famous paintings of Obama might stand out the most to you but I suggest that you check out the rest of his paintings or his website (https://kehindewiley.com/). For those of you who use instagram, you can also follow his instagram page. Kehinde Wiley (Taking a deeper look into his portraits and exhibition entitled, "A New Republic") Getting to know Kehinde Wiley Video Jacob Lawrence Jacob Lawrence In the North the Negro had better educational facilities 1940-41 Casein tempera on hardboard 12 x 18" (30.5 x 45.7 cm) Jacob Lawrence is an artist I have discovered recently in my research of famous black artists. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has a series of over 60 panels featuring Jacob Lawrence's works which "focus of the Great Migration, the exodus of African Americans from the rural South to northern and western cities beginning during World War I." I will post some of my favorites below. Otherwise you can visit the MoMA website to see a complete collection of this series.
Jacob Lawrence tells a story about an important historic event in the history of the United States. Through his artwork we can learn something. Lawrence researched this subject extensively taking seriously the dual roles of an educator and an artist, and I am glad he did. Bryan Stevenson talks about Jacob Lawrence's works and his works (The Migration) exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art. He also focuses on the power of art to communicate justice. Jean-Michel Basquiat Another artist I would like to introduce you to is Jean-Michel Basquiat. He is famous for his street art, social commentary, portraits, and abstract figuration. I do not know much about him as an artist, but I enjoy his expressive paintings and have included two videos featuring his artwork. This is a video featuring "MP"
This is a video featuring a collection of 135 works by Jean Michel Basquiat Kara Walker Kara Walker Exodus of Confederates from Atlanta from Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated) 2005 One from a portfolio of fifteen lithograph and screenprints 28 9/16 x 22 11/16" (72.5 x 85.5 cm); sheet 39 1/16 x 52 15/16" (99.2 x 134.4 cm)  Kara Walker Confederate Prisoners Being Conducted from Jonesborough to Atlanta from Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated) 2005 One from a portfolio of fifteen lithograph and screenprints 27 1/16 x 33 3/8" (68.7 x 84.8 cm); sheet: 39 x 53" (99.1 x 134.6 cm)  Kara Walker Alabama Loyalists Greeting the Federal Gun-Boats from Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated) 2005 One from a portfolio of fifteen lithograph and screenprints 26 x 34 5/8" (66.1 x 88 cm); sheet: 39 x 53" (99.1 x 134.6 cm) This video features artist Kara Walker and gives a background of her life and how she started her art career. This video talks about artist Kara Walker and her series about the Civil War. You can find more information about her pieces that I have featured above. A truly fascinating background and explaination of Walkers works. See the link below to find out more about Kara Walker's works: https://www.moma.org/artists/7679 Kerry James Marshall "Past Times," by Kerry James Marshall, acrylic and collage on canvas; 114 × 156 in. (289.6 × 396.2 cm). Marshall's paintings stand out so much to me. Many of the articles I have read praise his unique and signature style in which he uses extremely dark, and essentially black figures used to represent his perspective of African Americans. He also uses this style and theme to confront racial stereotypes in American society. I enjoy the design and composition of his paintings and the stories behind each of them. See this links below for more about Kerry James Marshall: https://www.moma.org/artists/8285 https://www.artsy.net/artist/kerry-james-marshall https://art21.org/read/kerry-james-marshall-portraiture-representation/ Mark Bradford Mark Bradford (American, born 1961). Butch Queen 2016 Mixed media on canvas 104 1/4 × 144 1/2 inches (259.7 × 367 cm)  Mark Bradford is another artist I have discovered recently. Nothing tells his story and the process that goes behind his amazing art better than the video below. A fantastic documentary and interview with Mark Bradford. Nick Cave Nick Cave Soundsuit 2012 Mixed media including found abacus, buttons, upholstery, metal, and mannequin Approximately 79.92 × 24.80 × 19.69 inches "Nick Cave was born in Fulton, Missouri in 1959. He creates “Soundsuits”—surreally majestic objects blending fashion and sculpture—that originated as metaphorical suits of armor in response to the Rodney King beatings and have evolved into vehicles for empowerment. Fully concealing the body, the “Soundsuits” serve as an alien second skin that obscures race, gender, and class, allowing viewers to look without bias towards the wearer’s identity. Cave regularly performs in the sculptures himself, dancing either before the public or for the camera, activating their full potential as costume, musical instrument, and living icon." Visit Art21 or the link below for more on Nick Cave. https://art21.org/artist/nick-cave/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA4L2BBhCvARIsAO0SBdaitQ4Obz3aQ88TTfwEfonsvd1p1SeTF6ecz0PFqovvCC3H3kV2SVEaAhC_EALw_wcB Here is a video about Nick Cave and his series "Soundsuit". "Artist Nick Cave discusses creating his first Soundsuit in 1992 in response to the Rodney King beating. He explains the ideas and materials that inspired him to make the Soundsuit in SAAM’s collection – one of approximately 500 Soundsuits the artist has made over the years". Another similar video of Nick Cage on his soundsuit series. Gwendolyn A. Magee
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" is often referred to as the "Black/African-American National Anthem". It is a song written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) in 1900 and composed into music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954) in 1905. I first heard about this song at the beginning of 2021, while reading the book, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou, a fascinating book about Angelou's life growing up. Visit the link below to learn more about Magee's Quilts: https://southernspaces.org/2014/lift-every-voice-and-sing-quilts-gwendolyn-ann-magee/ Augusta Savage
Augusta Savage was a sculptor, art teacher, and community art program director in Harlem. According to The Guardian, "In 1939, the artist Augusta Savage was the first African American woman to open her own art gallery in America – the Salon of Contemporary Negro Art." Normally I post about painters and paintings, but I chose to include Augusta as one of the artists in this post because of her great contributions to society and the large role she played in art history in America. She is one of the few sculptors that I really enjoy. Check out the rest of her artwork and story, you won't regret it! I also chose to include her sculpture "The Harp" because it has something in common with Magee's quilted piece entitled "Lift Every Voice and Sing", the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing", and Maya Angelou's poem "Caged Bird". The Harp sculpture depicts a group of twelve black singers in graduated heights that symbolize the strings on a harp. The sound board was made by the "hand" and "arm" of God, and the kneeling boy in the front represents the foot pedal on a harp. As you will see in the link below, Sophia Smith writes, "Modes of freedom such as community, faith, and music are all discussed within these (3) works of art, and each piece highlights the importance of these themes within black culture". Visit the link below to learn more about the sculpture "The Harp" and to listen to the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing": https://sophia.smith.edu/afr111-f19/the-harp/ A brief background of Augusta Savage A video of Augusta Savage working on her sculptures
Faith RinggoldFaith Ringgold is an American painter, writer, mixed media sculptor, as well as a performance artist. She is best known for her quilts that are sure to always tell a unique narrative.
Video of quilt artist, Faith Ringgold Charles Henry AlstonCharles Henry Alston was an influential American painter during the Harlem Renaissance. He was also the first African American supervisor for the "Works Progress Administration". He also supervised the Works Progress Administrations murals created at Harlem Hospital, in which he led a staff of 35 artists and assistants. I really enjoy his use of shape and color in this pieces shown below.
To read more about this piece of art and Charles Henry Alston please visit the link below: https://americanart.si.edu/education/oh-freedom/charles-henry-alston Video done by The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts - Art Byte - Charles Alston Alma ThomasAlma Woodsey Thomas is an important African-American artist and teacher in the 20th century who lived and worked in Washington, D.C. She is well known for her colorful, abstract compositions and patterns.  Artist: Alma Thomas (1891-1978)  Alma Thomas The Eclipse 1970 Acrylic on canvas 62 x 49 3⁄4 in. (57.5 x 126.5 cm.) Visit the link below to learn more about Alma Thomas: https://www.moma.org/artists/47098 Video about Alma Thomas Reginald Baylor This last featured artist was suggested by my good friend, Heidi, who used to work at the Milwaukee Art Museum. One of the artists that she enjoyed most during her time at the Milwaukee Art Museum was Reginald Baylor, an artist who lives and works in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, not too far from my hometown. I look forward to getting to know more about him and his artwork!  This is a video I found on Youtube that is part of an online course through the Milwaukee Art Museum. This video is entitled, Hangout with Art: Art and Inspiration with Reginald Baylor. "Hangout with Art is a MOOC (massive open online course) run by the Milwaukee Art Museum, in partnership with the Google Art Project, for people from around the world to get more comfortable looking at art and visiting museums. As part of the course, we offer a series of Google Hangouts on Air to highlight how people from many disciplines use art in their work." In the video you can see some of Baylor's works and he gives some suggestions on how you can participate in the art scene in Milwaukee.
I hope you have enjoyed the various artists and their works I have put together for you. Of course, there are so many other talented artists and unforgettable works out there that we can enjoy and learn from. I wish I could include them all! If you have any other artists you would like to recommend, leave a comment below! Until next time, Hannah
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Happy Lunar New Year! 新年快乐！牛年大吉！To celebrate the new year in China, I have put together some of my favorite pieces by Chinese watercolor artists. Hope you enjoy taking a tour of China through these paintings with me!
 Artist: Zhou Gang
Artist: Zhou Gang  Artist: Zhou Gang
 Artist: Zhou Gang
 Artist: Pan Sitong Hangzhou (Where I lived for 5 years)  Artist: Pan Changzhen
 Artist: Wang Weixin
 Artist: Chen Jian
 Artist: Huang Tieshan
That's it! Hope you enjoyed these watercolor pieces, have a happy new year! 新年快乐！
Until next time, Hannah  Victoria Fernandez, We All Hold Hands, 2020. Acrylic and watercolor. National American Visions Award and Gold Medal in Painting. Grade 12, Pius XI Catholic High, Milwaukee, Cathy Burnett, instructor. The Milwaukee Art Museum recently posted its virtual 2021 Scholastic Art Awards exhibition. The Milwaukee Art Museum website explains, "This year marks the 45th (and first virtual!) Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition hosted at the Milwaukee Art Museum. More than two hundred artworks by Wisconsin students in grades 7–12 are featured in this annual exhibition that celebrates young talent in our state. The juried exhibition is drawn from over 1,800 submissions in the categories of Architecture & Industrial Design, Ceramics & Glass, Comic Art, Design, Digital Art, Drawing & Illustration, Editorial Cartoon, Expanded Projects, Fashion, Film & Animation, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Senior Art Portfolios." If you have a chance, pop on over to their website to see a full view of all works included in this amazing online exhibition (https://mam.org/exhibitions/details/scholastic-2021.php#scholastic-winners). I am blown away by the shear and complete talent these students have. Check out some of my favorites from the exhibition below. I tried to pick one favorite from each category in the exhibition. Enjoy my favorites!  Julian Robinson, The Oculus. Gold Key. Grade 10, Brookfield East High School, Vicky Molitor, instructor. I enjoy the lighting and shadows in this one a lot.  Shannon Carlson, Silhouette. Silver Key. Grade 12, Shorewood High School, Jessica Mohagen, instructor. The aesthetic of this one is beautiful.  Colette Stoye, Agnes. Gold Key. Grade 11, Whitefish Bay High School, Tanner Teipel, Instructor. I love comics, graphic novels, and manga. I would definitely read this one based on the first page.  Sophia Kunstman, Fever Family. Gold Key. Grade 11, Madison West High School, Jennifer Engelbart, instructor. Love the style of this one.  Lio O’Shasky, Authenticity. Gold Key. Grade 12, Oak Creek High School, Laura Dorow, instructor. At first I didn't realize that behind the young man looking into the mirror there were many eyes watching in the background of the reflection. It gave me the goose bumps!  Curtiss Holley, Needles and Pins. Silver Key. Grade 12, Brookfield Academy–Upper School, Elaine Buckley, instructor. Beautiful. I would love to buy a pair of these for my wardrobe!  Finley Peterson, The Book Dress. Gold Key. Grade 12, Oconomowoc High School, Clarinda Lollar, instructor. What a fascinating idea!  Sonja Stein, Stone Troll Vase. Silver Key. Grade 11, New Berlin West Middle High School, Nicki De Koch, instructor. There's definitely a story waiting to be written about this stone troll!  Helene Holland, The White Lion. Silver Key. Grade 12, Prairie School, Vicki Schmitz, instructor. I absolutely love this piece!  Kadjata Bah, Lady, Lady. Gold Key. Grade 10, East High School, April Sopkin, instructor. A very beautiful portrait and fun style.  Mason Wood, Memories. Silver Key. Grade 11, Wauwatosa East High School, Kelly Frederick Mizer, instructor. I enjoyed this one for its texture.  Megan Hedtke, The View From The Greenhouse. Gold Key. Grade 12, Brookfield Central High School, Sarah Scott, instructor. That's one detailed print! Love the mark making.  Shijie Mao, Night alley. Gold Key. Grade 12, St Thomas More High School, Jodi Brzezinski, instructor. I chose these last two because of my love for Asian culture.  Mira Santo Tomas, “Flying Bowl”. Silver Key. Grade 9, Brookfield Academy–Upper School, Elaine Buckley, instructor. What talent these students displayed! If you have a child or student who is interested in art or enjoys creating art, I suggest you have them check out what others their age are creating.
Until next time, Hannah |
AuthorLiving in China. Studying for a masters in Watercolor Painting. Archives
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