Discovering African American Art

THROUGH THE WORK OF

Ellis Wilson & Loïs Mailou Jones

By Sondra De Luca

Ellis Wilson  

Ellis Wilson  

Two mothers is beautiful crafted piece, which plays with the contrast of light and dark though the colors. The background is very bright which

almost illuminates the two women and their babies. The composition is very simple. Wilson

uses thin lines to create his figures and establishes most details in the grass and bushes.

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Two Mothers 1946. Oil. 28” x 20”

Ellis Wilson  

Field Workers shows a great example of Ellis’ use of sophisticated design patterns in the greenery.

He uses bold colors in the clothing of the workers to make them stand out against their background. The simple figures are expressed through a style of

Expressionism as well as realism. The details are established mostly through color.

Field Workers 1948-1950 (estimated). Oil. 29.25” x 34.125”

Ellis Wilson  

The painting reflects the life of people of Haiti. Wilson was a frequent visitor of the country and developed many pieces of his artwork based on

people performing daily tasks. This piece was established in quiet town of Jac-Mel in Haiti.

Wilson uses bright colors to make the background really stand out.

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Jac-Mel Haiti 1950. Oil. 23.75” x 48”

Ellis Wilson  

This piece is noted as one of Wilson’s best-known painting after it was displayed on The Cosby Show

in 1985. Wilson uses rich colors and simple outlines to portray the story of a funeral. His

figures are very impressionistic with no real details in the face. The emotion of this piece comes

through the stance of each figure. .

Funeral Procession 1950. Oil. 30.5” x 29.25”

Ellis Wilson  

Bird Vendor establishes Wilson’s Expressionistic style through the distortion of form. Pattern is

created within the main bird and also within the background by using a pop of color along with delicate use of line and shape. This piece uses a

different tone than many of his other pieces because it focuses on an individual person and

establishes a simple facial expression. .

Bird Vendor 1953. Oil.

Loïs Mailou Jones  

Loïs Mailou Jones  

Jennie 1943. Oil. 3.75” x 28.75”

This painting shows Jones’ early style of work. The subject of the little girl is very realistic by

performing an everyday task of cooking. However the brushwork is not as detailed as it could be. I

feel this painting falls more into an impressionistic style because of its soft appearance that is created

through line and color.

Loïs Mailou Jones  

This painting was inspired by Haiti. Jones’ developed a more cubist style through this culture.

This painting follows a much different process than her older work. The concept of performing a

more everyday task still applies but the design work is interpreted in a new way. This painting

has brighter colors and bolder shapes integrated within the design.

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Marché, Haïti 1963. Acrylic. 24” x 20”

Loïs Mailou Jones  

This piece of art relates to Jones’ older work that used a combination of African forms, cubism and

her personal African American experience. This piece uses mixed media, which I believe relates to

the mask in the center. It gives this piece a 3D effect by pulling itself out of the rest of the

artwork. The line work has become thicker and the shapes are much more dominate.

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Mood Masque 1963. Acrylic. 24” x 20”

Loïs Mailou Jones  

In this piece of art, Jones combined realism with big geometric forms. The girl is created using a more traditional style, where as the background

follows her more cubist style. These styles are smoothly tied in together through the colors of

green, black and yellow in the girl’s dress and also through the shapes.

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Duex Coiffeurs d’ Afrique 1982. Oil. 36” x 36”

Loïs Mailou Jones  

Mère du Senegal 1985. Acrylic. 25” x 26”

This piece tends to relate very similarly to Duex Coiffeurs d’ Afrique piece through the combination of styles within one

composition. This piece really ties in the importance of the African culture through the task of hair braiding in a traditional sense. The pink in the woman’s outfit and the

bright orange background integrate a connection with the geometric pattern making the composition really work

well together as a design.

Artists  Ellis Wilson and Loïs Mailou Jones stood out to me because they both found a way to experience the African lifestyle and include that into their art. Though travel, both artists were able to find a connection with the culture that helps tie themselves to their own heritage. However, each artist had a completely different approach to the style and design of their influenced work.

Jones took her experience of the culture to a new level and ended up changing her style of work. Her earlier work was a combination of impressionism and realism. Her use of line was very soft and the use of color was very delicate. Through the influence of the African culture, Jones’ later pieces found a way to create rhythm and speak very loudly through big shapes and bright colors. She also experimented by combining geometric patterns with realistic figures.

Wilson took a much more traditional route in his approach. His pieces followed down a more Expressionistic path by using many simple figures of distortion. He expressed detail through intricate design pattern and used rich color to create contrast. Wilson focused most of his emphasis on the action of society and less on the emotion of an individual. Many of his pieces reflect the people performing daily tasks in Haiti.

I believe Wilson’s work relates closer to the style of Jones’ earlier work through the soft brushstrokes and line. Jones’ however paid closer attention to detail and seemed to take a bigger interest in the emotions of the individual. I felt it was important to compare these artists because even though they had similar traveling experiences, they showed how art could be portrayed in a different way.

References  

African American Art and Artist by Samella Lewis. Textbook

loismailoujones.com. Web

ket.org/elliswilson. Web