In capturing the contemporary Black American experience through their work and practice, artists have ensured that fundamental narratives of American history are represented in the art historical discourse as a record and guide for generations to come.
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Playlists
Playlists 2
Essence of a History
by Art21February 14, 2019 16 videos • 2:14:15 total runtime
Essence of a History
Jack Whitten’s “Black Monoliths”paintings embodied the artist’s way of memorializing figures who have impacted him as an artist and citizen. As institutions make efforts to showcase more artists of color, previously hidden figures are emerging throughout museum galleries, academic curriculum, and media platforms to better reflect the contemporary conversations of a multicultural community.
Portraying the Black American Experience
by Art21February 14, 2018 15 videos • 2:13:05 total runtime
Portraying the Black American Experience
By transforming the contemporary Black experience into powerful works of art, artists have created some of the most compelling, significant artworks of our lifetime.
Artists
Artists 23
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In the Studio
In the Studio: David Leggett
In the Studio
In the Studio: Martine Syms
In the Studio
Pope.L
The Friendliest Black Artist in America, Pope.L discusses humor, management, and performance.
In the Studio
Diedrick Brackens
Diedrick Brackens weaves love, labor, and African American legacy into his textiles. Interview conducted by Essence Harden in the artist’s Los Angeles studio.
Interview
Intergenerational
LaToya Ruby Frazier describes the external factors at play in her work and the rapidly changing socio-economic landscape of her hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania.
Interview
Childhood
Nick Cave recalls the impact of the community in which he was raised and how that encouraged him to pursue his creative interests. Interview by Stanley Nelson at the artist’s studio in Chicago on December 15, 2015.
Interview
Resisting Dichotomies & Compressing Complexity
Interviewed in his Queens, New York studio in October 2017, Jack Whitten reflects on his childhood, the inequality he faced as a Black artist, and the necessity of fighting simplistic dichotomies.
Interview
Teaching History by Sculpting Experience
Doreen Garner shares the motivation driving her sculptural practice: to educate viewers about suppressed racist histories.
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