FINAL PRESENTATIONEXHIBITION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN

ART

By: Maria Catalina OlivaresUCF - SUMMER 2015

ARH - 3170C

Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth.-Pablo Picasso

(Mary) Edmonia Lewis

When questioned how she became an artist, she replied: "well, it was a strange selection for a poor girl to make, wasn’t it?  I suppose it was in me ... I became almost crazy to make something like the thing which fascinated me." 

-Edmonia Lewis

Citation - Edmonia

Herman (“Kofi”) Bailey

"Kofi Bailey's art revealed the historical antecedents of black freedom struggles and emphasized the people-centered force of the black political and cultural movements of that period." - James Early, 1998

-Herman Bailey

Citation - Bailey

Exhibition Statement Art can be used to empower people and bring them together. In the works of art of (Mary) Edmonia Lewis and Herman (“Kofi”) Bailey we see how they use their art to show the strength and determination of African Americans and attempt to promote people to stand up for their rights. We can see many similarities in their artwork even though they come from different eras. Both of these artists use their artworks to express their opinions and get people to think about their situations and the times that they live in. Edmonia Lewis lived in the Post Civil War era, which influenced her work as seen in the sculpture Forever Free, which shows a slave breaking free form chains of slavery. Similarly, Herman Bailey drawings of a hand raised toward a star called Unity represents the demands of African American for equal rights following World War II. Overall, Edmonia Lewis’ artwork displays the strength of her people who are trying to move on from slavery to freedom. Whereas, Herman Bailey uses his art to try to prove that African Americans can be constructive citizens of this country and have a lot to offer in the political, economical and social world. Also, we can see both of their art works elicit a response to stand up and fight for their rights. I like how art can be a medium of communication that can be used to send a message to a vast amount of people. These artist are able to express and share their views of the world with others and by that shine a light on many of the injustices of their times.

Citation - Lewis, Samella

(Mary) Edmonia Lewis, Forever Free, 1867. Marble. Howard University. Gallery of Art.

This sculpture was inspired by emancipation of African-American slaves after the Civil War. Edmonia shows the struggles of her race and her roots. It shows humans with hope and strength breaking free from the chains of slavery. However, the figures still have chains around their wrist and ankles, which represent that even when free, they are still bound to their past and challenges in the coming future.

(Mary) Edmonia Lewis, Hagar in the Wilderness, 1868. Marble.

Another statue that reflected Edmonia background, this is a statue of an Egyptian woman called Hagar. Hagar is from the biblical book of Genesis and would have been considered black from the nineteenth century perspective. Hagar was an Egyptian slave who would bore a son for Abraham and in the sculpture we can see Hagar in a submissive position awaiting her fate.

Citation - Lewis

(Mary) Edmonia Lewis, Indians in Battle, 1868. Marble.

Edmonia Lewis was of Native American descent through her mother and was raised in a Native American tribe. Her work often depicts oppressed groups like African Americans and Native Americans. The following statue depicts three American Indian fighting. The sculpture is incredibly dynamic and dramatic showing two Indians standing up while one holds a knife and the other one fights for his life with a third man on the ground struggling to pull himself up.

(Mary) Edmonia Lewis, Bust of Abraham Lincoln, 1870. Marble.

This is a bust of Abraham Lincoln, which is among one of the best-known sculptures of Edmonia. She clearly captured the likeness of the president with a stern and conflicted expression. Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States who ended slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation. It is interesting to ponder what Edmonia thought of Abraham Lincoln who free slaves in the United States but was not seen as a hero among Native Americans.

(Mary) Edmonia Lewis, John Brown, 1876. Marble.

This is a bust of abolitionist hero John Brown, a white-American who believed armed insurrection was the only way to end slavery. It is believed that Brown’s rebellion escalated tension that would lead to secession and the American Civil War. In this bust Edmonia, of African American decent through her father, immortalizes a man who played a part of the end of the slavery. This image elicits a will to stand up and fight.

Citation - Brown

Herman (“Kofi”) Bailey, Unity, 1961. Mixed media, 40” x 30”. Collection of Samella Lewis.

This artwork by Bailey shows the political and social concepts of self-determination through self-expression. In the artwork we see an arm, representing African Americans, reaching for the “all-seeing eye,” the eye of African American unity, which overlooks all. This is a symbol of unity and having the arm reaching for it creates an incredible moving and strong visual image. It makes you wants to stand up and unity against the world.

Herman (“Kofi”) Bailey, Birth. Mixed media, 40” x 30”.

Herman Bailey is best known for his work reflecting the African American experience and Pan-Africanism philosophy. We can see in this drawing how Bailey empowers African Americans by showing an African American Doctor delivering a baby. This drawing comes in a period of time when African Americans are fighting for equal rights in all aspect of the American life and show that they can contribute to society.

Herman (“Kofi”) Bailey, Untitled, 1962. Mixed media. Drawing.

The drawing shows a subtle image of an African American who seems to be conflicted. Bailey shows his great understating of human sensibilities and emotions in the portrait of this figure that needs little background to define his situation. The image shows him alone struggling, which reflects the struggles that African American encounter during this time. However, the image still has a sense of hope, as the figure is upright with the will to continue.

Herman (“Kofi”) Bailey, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, 1968. Poster campaign, 339 x 471.

The following poster shows Bailey involvement in the political world of his time. Besides Pan-Africanism, Bailey covered other areas of the African-American experience such as Black Power, anti-colonialism, and African-American civil rights. In this work of art, Bailey portraits Martin Luther King, Jr., a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. This is a Poster for the Poor People's Campaign, 1968, which was an effort to gain economic justice for poor people in the USA.

Herman (“Kofi”) Bailey, Untitled [Boy Reading by Gaslight], 1970. Pastel and Charcoal, 40” x 30”.

Bailey was best known for his conte and charcoal drawings as shown here, which depicts and African American reading at night. This is another image that seems to show bailey’s desire to empower African American in his drawings. There is a great use of color and employs geometric and figurative elements and including aspects of character common to all mankind, almost encouraging all those around him to fight for a respectable life.

Citations

Bailey, Herman. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2015. Web. 16 July 2015

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Bailey)

Brown, John. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2015. Web. 16 July 2015

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(abolitionist)

Edmonia Lewis. The Indomitable Sprit of Edmonia Lewis, 2014. Web. 16 July 2015

(http://www.edmonialewis.com/favorite_quotations.htm0

Lewis, Edmonia. Encyclopedia of Worlds Biography. 2008. Web. 16 July 2015

(http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Edmonia_Lewis.aspx)

Lewis, Samella S,. African American Art and Artists. California: University of California Press, 2003. Book. 16 July 2015