Black Art in the U.S.

Black Art in the U.S. – Catlett, Lawrence & Tanner

      Prominent early Black artists included Henry O. Tanner whose work was placed in the White House during the Clinton administration. He was the first American artist of his race to achieve international recognition and important auction records.   He lived a long and artistically fruitful life from the mid-Nineteenth to almost mid-Twentieth century. He has been listed as one of the top ten Black American artists and his work appears in many museum collections, as well as in the collections of the most important collectors of Black American art.
     A considerable amount of Black art was produced during the Harlem Renaissance, beginning in the 1920’s. In addition to painters, sculptors and printmakers, writers and musicians also gravitated to Harlem in New York City. Some examples of the Harlem Renaissance were artists such as Aaron Douglas, William H. Johnson and Archibald J Motley, Jr.
The W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) followed the Harlem Renaissance and lasted from the mid-Thirties to the mid-Forties. Many Black artists were on the various projects, including Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden.
Jacob Lawrence's life spanned the late Harlem Renaissance after the Nineteen twenties, (since he first moved to Harlem in 1924), and right through the W.P.A. He painted well into almost the end of the late Twentieth century. He studied painting at the Harlem Art Workshop, prior to his joining the W.P.A. Later he created the world famous sixty panel "Migration Series" which might be his most famous artwork. This series told the story of American Black history from the artist’s perspective. Lawrence's work is found in the most prestigious collections and museums all over the world, and countless exhibitions take place exhibiting his work.
   Elizabeth Catlett was part of the W.P.A. where she perfected her artistic abilities. She studied with Lois Mallou Jones and Grant Wood. She was also a student at the Arts Student League in New York and at the Art Institute in Chicago. Stating that art should be for the people, she has not only produced paintings and sculpture, but has concentrated on prints, so that the masses can afford her art.   After the New Deal period, she went back to Mexico where she perfected her printmaking skills and married Francisco Mora. Catlett's work exemplifies her interest in matters of race and ethnicity and her many graphic works depict the Black experience and its famous and not such famous figures. Her works are in museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, NYC, in addition to the National Gallery, Washington, D.C. and the Baltimore and Philadelphia Museums of Art. Numerous exhibitions have been held and she has had the most important writers of Black culture write about her work and life. They include Samella Lewis, Lowery Sims and David Driskell amongst others.

Elizabeth Catlett

Jeanette Hendler writes regularly about art and other subjects for many publications and has a collection of art from the Thirties and Forties.