Modernism and African American Art

Art historians had long held that African American artists drew inspiration for their styles from European modernism. This special section showcases how African American artists explored modernist techniques, images and tropes as part of a personal artistic practice.

These essays demonstrate how new methodologies are helping us understand and recognize the agency of African American artists as they seek to break free from rigid binaries that limit perceived racial categories.

Neoclassical

Neoclassical art first gained popularity during the Enlightenment – an era characterized by philosophical skepticism that promoted rationality and discovery – its idealist concept of beauty prioritizing purity and symmetry of line over hue, atmosphere or depth.

Jean-Antoine Houdon was one such artist involved with this movement, drawing influence from Neoclassical art to craft sculptures in a style known as Verism. Houdon’s equestrian statue of Voltaire stands out for its lifelike modeling and depiction of its receding mustache, grin and furrowed forehead – characteristics Houdon himself celebrated.

Jacques-Louis David was the foremost French Neoclassical painter during 1774-80 and won the renowned Prix de Rome. Although early works by David were heavily rooted in Rococo, later works veered closer towards antique styles. Swiss artist Angelika Kauffmann painted many idealistic landscapes and portraits in Neoclassical style; however her interpretation of Winckelmann’s advocacy of imitating ancient art resulted in lifeless copies often described as frigid copies.

Abstract Expressionism

In the 1940s, artists moved away from representational painting towards abstraction. This movement was driven by artists seeking to convey unconscious emotions or impulses onto canvas; although predominantly male in compositional terms, many female artists emerged during its peak period.

Abstract expressionism was initially coined to refer to works by Wassily Kandinsky; however, over time it came to encompass Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning’s bold gestural paintings as well. Both artists began with figurative paintings before moving towards abstraction through layers of thick paint application using thick strokes that created dynamic pieces with dynamic energy.

European modernism was also playing a part, in that its emphasis on automatic and subconscious creation was shaping new movements of art. Piet Mondrian and Arshile Gorky helped pave the way with grids of colors from Piet Mondrian’s grid paintings and his totemic visions of Arshile Gorky influencing aesthetic experimentation while Clyfford Still, Barnett Newman and Adolph Gottlieb made significant contributions with serenely shimmering blocks of color by Clyfford Still and Barnett Newman in particular Clyfford Still made waves of shimmering blocks of color while Mark Rothko pioneered what became known as color field painting; his large scale paintings appear chaotic but in reality are composed of carefully planned strokes meant to depict spiritual realities in order to convey spiritual realities.

Riff: African American Artists and the European Canon

European art history remains an indispensable source of artistic inspiration for African American artists today, such as Kehinde Wiley, Kerry James Marshall, Titus Kaphar, Mickalene Thomas and Martin Puryear who use its master narratives either to criticize or embrace its beauty.

Riffs and Relations: African American Artists in the European Modernist Tradition at Phillips is an exhibition exploring how African-American artists have challenged, invaded, entangled, or subverted the aesthetics, symbolism, and ethos of European art since its inception. Guest curator Adrienne L. Childs has produced an exhaustive yet beautifully illustrated catalogue to accompany this show.

European art has served as a source of guidance and inspiration for many black artists, from Romare Bearden and Aaron Douglas’ formal and social goals to Henri Matisse and Piet Mondrian’s radical innovations of form, liberated use of color, and affinity with music; European art has provided guidance that allowed many black artists to craft unique dialogues within its history. This groundbreaking catalog showcases these breakthroughs.

Contemporary

Contemporary art encompasses a diverse array of styles, materials and themes. This genre encompasses artwork created today as well as that created during recent decades by artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat who died from drugs at 27 and Felix Gonzalez-Torres who passed away of AIDS at 38.

Modern and contemporary artists draw their inspiration from various sources, often through appropriation: creating new works based on earlier pieces by altering subject matter or formal elements – for instance, John Baldessari used an image by Albrecht Durer depicting a stag beetle into one of his works as an example.

Many contemporary artists defy classification. Yayoi Kusama combines elements of pop art, conceptual art and Minimalism in her immersive installations such as her Infinity Mirrored Rooms at The Broad. Other artists, like Jeff Koons or other minimalists create works which combine aesthetic playfulness with critical engagement with art history.