Artists from The Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was the period of African American works, one of which was art. During this time many artist of this time period were motivated and influenced by their surroundings. At this time in history their surroundings in Harlem, New York at the time were African Americans making a difference through their work. Some artists from the Harlem Renaissance include Aaron Douglas, Palmer Hayden, and Jacob Lawrence. These people tried to capture “the new African American”. Before this period African Americans were considered to be lazy, disrespectful, and only good for one thing; hard labor. Artists from the Harlem Renaissance changed this stereotype.

During this time period the majority of African American artists were motivated and influenced to paint due to what they saw around them. Mainly being African Americans trying to change and influence the lives of younger African Americans, by showing them they can make a difference. For example Aaron Douglas referred to at this time as “The Father of Black American Art”, mainly due to the fact that he was very interested in African American art, and learned to draw using African styles. Showed through his many murals and paintings, for example his series of Negro Life: From Slavery through Reconstruction, how the African American race has grown and progressed through the years, and has created a better and more successful life for themselves, and their children that follow in their paths. Through this series Aaron Douglas tries to capture both life back in slavery, then slowly merging into how life is during the Harlem Renaissance where African Americans through their accomplishments during this time period were put into a whole new perspective (ArtsEdge).

Specific traits that these artists used in their paintings were bright light colors, for example blue, oranges, greens, but these colors were also paired with the depiction in these paintings of the dark African American, some of which did not have any eyes, nose, or mouth. In others though, it would show African Americans doing a simple task, for example walking or talking. But in these depictions African Americans were different shades of blacks and browns. This showing people that not all African Americans are created, made, and look the same. It seemed like in each of the paintings that I looked at the each artist was some how trying to show to people that African Americans can do just as much as anyone else can. Because n some of the paintings these artists created, they painted pictures of African Americans in suits, like they were in the navy or military, and in some of them, some of the artists had African Americans doing simple task that anyone could do. For example in some of these paintings there were African Americans painting a wall, walking, talking to someone, and dancing. I think the main focus of the pieces that I saw was to show people that African Americans are just like everyone else.

Artists from the Harlem Renaissance not only marked a way for other African Americans to realize their true potentials within themselves, and enable them to follow their own dreams. This also changed the stereotype of all African Americans. For example not all of these artists from the Harlem Renaissance painted art pieces that focused on African Americans back in slavery and showed how much they have changed and moved up in society since then. But some of the art pieces that I did see, for example some by Jacob Lawrence had Africans American in these paintings doing things that any regular person could do. The reason that this is so important, is because people back then in society thought that African Americans were some how strange and different in some way that they should not be allowed to coexist with regular society. Had this been true though African Americans would not have been able to do the things that regular every day people could do. Also if regular people and African Americans were able to do what regular everyday people could, why differentiate between the two races?

Works Cited

Artsedge. Artsedge Kennedy Center. Unknown. 25 October 2008 <http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2248/2248_harlemvoices_artists.pdf>

Ross. Modernism 101. 2004. 25 October 2008 <http://www.modernism101.com/wpa_pm_douglas.php
www.aarondouglas.ku.edu/resources/family_guide.pdf>