Black Art: A Cultural History
"Excellent artists' profiles, lots of reproductions, and illuminating and original discussions of social and cultural contexts of African American art."—Booklist.

The African diaspora—a direct result of the transatlantic slave trade and Western colonialism—generated a wide array of artistic achievements in the past century, from blues to reggae, from the paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner to the video installations of Keith Piper. Richard Powell's study concentrates on the works of art themselves and on how these works, created during a time of major social upheaval and transformation, use black culture as both subject and context.

From musings on the "the souls of black folk" in early twentieth-century painting, sculpture, and photography to questions of racial and cultural identities in performance, media, and computer-assisted arts in the 1990s, the book draws on the works of hundreds of artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou Jones, Wifredo Lam, Jacob Lawrence, Spike Lee, Archibald Motley, Jr., Faith Ringgold, and Gerard Sekoto.

This revised edition includes expanded coverage of video art and a new chapter that discusses work by a number of artists who have newly risen to prominence, such as Chris Ofili, Kara Walker, and Renée Cox. Biographies of more than 170 key artists provide a unique art-historical reference.

Placing its emphasis on black cultural themes rather than on black racial identity, this groundbreaking book is an important exploration of the visual representations of black culture throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.
"1139037198"
Black Art: A Cultural History
"Excellent artists' profiles, lots of reproductions, and illuminating and original discussions of social and cultural contexts of African American art."—Booklist.

The African diaspora—a direct result of the transatlantic slave trade and Western colonialism—generated a wide array of artistic achievements in the past century, from blues to reggae, from the paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner to the video installations of Keith Piper. Richard Powell's study concentrates on the works of art themselves and on how these works, created during a time of major social upheaval and transformation, use black culture as both subject and context.

From musings on the "the souls of black folk" in early twentieth-century painting, sculpture, and photography to questions of racial and cultural identities in performance, media, and computer-assisted arts in the 1990s, the book draws on the works of hundreds of artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou Jones, Wifredo Lam, Jacob Lawrence, Spike Lee, Archibald Motley, Jr., Faith Ringgold, and Gerard Sekoto.

This revised edition includes expanded coverage of video art and a new chapter that discusses work by a number of artists who have newly risen to prominence, such as Chris Ofili, Kara Walker, and Renée Cox. Biographies of more than 170 key artists provide a unique art-historical reference.

Placing its emphasis on black cultural themes rather than on black racial identity, this groundbreaking book is an important exploration of the visual representations of black culture throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.
29.95 In Stock
Black Art: A Cultural History

Black Art: A Cultural History

by Richard J. Powell
Black Art: A Cultural History

Black Art: A Cultural History

by Richard J. Powell

Paperback(Second Edition)

$29.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

"Excellent artists' profiles, lots of reproductions, and illuminating and original discussions of social and cultural contexts of African American art."—Booklist.

The African diaspora—a direct result of the transatlantic slave trade and Western colonialism—generated a wide array of artistic achievements in the past century, from blues to reggae, from the paintings of Henry Ossawa Tanner to the video installations of Keith Piper. Richard Powell's study concentrates on the works of art themselves and on how these works, created during a time of major social upheaval and transformation, use black culture as both subject and context.

From musings on the "the souls of black folk" in early twentieth-century painting, sculpture, and photography to questions of racial and cultural identities in performance, media, and computer-assisted arts in the 1990s, the book draws on the works of hundreds of artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou Jones, Wifredo Lam, Jacob Lawrence, Spike Lee, Archibald Motley, Jr., Faith Ringgold, and Gerard Sekoto.

This revised edition includes expanded coverage of video art and a new chapter that discusses work by a number of artists who have newly risen to prominence, such as Chris Ofili, Kara Walker, and Renée Cox. Biographies of more than 170 key artists provide a unique art-historical reference.

Placing its emphasis on black cultural themes rather than on black racial identity, this groundbreaking book is an important exploration of the visual representations of black culture throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780500203620
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Publication date: 02/17/2003
Series: World of Art
Edition description: Second Edition
Pages: 274
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Richard J. Powell is the John Spencer Bassett professor of art & art history at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, where he has taught since 1989. His publications include: The Blues Aesthetic: Black Culture and Modernism, Cutting a Figure: Fashioning Black Portraiture, Going There: Black Visual Satire, and Homecoming: The Art and Life of William H. Johnson.

Table of Contents

Introduction The Dark Center 6

Chapter 1 Art, Culture, and "the Souls of Black Folk" 26

Chapter 2 Enter and Exit the "New Negro" 48

Chapter 3 The Cult of the People 73

Chapter 4 Pride, Assimilation, and Dreams 95

Chapter 5 "Black is a Color" 133

Chapter 6 Culture as Currency 179

Chapter 7 Through a Glass, Diasporally 224

Chapter 8 Fin-de-Siècle Blues 255

Chapter 9 The Price of Blackness 278

Biographical Notes 310

Select Bibliography and Sources 325

List of Illustrations 340

Index 349

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews