Performance art is defined as an artwork that presents art through an interactive media, whether through improv or through script. Performance art is not traditional and can be seen through media outlets or through live performances. Performance art is said to have been influenced by two men. Performance art revolves around the human body and can be kinesthetic work. A work of art that falls under the category of performance art can tell a story or portray a symbolic message which leads me to my second choice ; symbolism art. Symbolism art is artwork in which the artwork is visual and represents a deeper message. Symbolism art is versatile in which it can be seen in any other form of artwork. Symbolism art evokes emotion and captures the viewer’s …show more content…
The art forms that I have chosen are: Performance Art and Symbolism Art by Jacob Lawrence and Oscar Schlemmer. For Jacob Lawrence, I chose an artwork titled “Taboo” and for Oscar Schlemmer I chose an artwork titled “Triadic Ballet”. I chose both of these artworks because I can relate to both of them in different ways. Lawrence’s “Taboo” is an alliteration to its name, and it symbolizes the harsh reality of race and relationships in which I have experienced firsthand as a black woman who has dated outside of her race. Schlemmer’s “Triadic Ballet, although unconventional and boundary breaking, expresses the art of dance and kinesthetic between people in an area. I can relate to the “Triadic Ballet” because dance is a passion of mines and whether there is an unconventional approach or a traditional approach, the observation of body movement in a space is fascinating. Performance art and symbolism art are both artworks that express a message through a medium that is understandable and easy to connect to ,in this instance ; performance art and symbolism are cohesively tied together in my interest and they both illuminate the importance of appreciating art , the artists ,and the message that is portrayed through the …show more content…
Soon after Lawrence moved to Harlem, in his early teens, he was introduced into art and he immediately felt connected. Years later, Lawrence graduated from American Artists School in New York. At this point in Lawrence life, he began to work more consistently on his artworks, which took time because he had to discover his own style. Through this process of discovering his style, he began creating narrative series where his paintings were centered on one subject. From these series came his best series that are now well known: The Migration Series. The Migration Series depicted the stories, history, and struggles of African Americans. In 1938, Lawrence became the first African American who had a solo art exhibition. Lawrence was then drafted into World War II as a United States Coast Guard. During his draft Lawrence began to paint a new series, his War Series. After returning from war, Lawrence became depressed and signed himself into a hospital for 11 months1.Through Charles Alston mentorship, Lawrence became intrigued in the Harlem Renaissance and the artists of that time which highly influenced his interest in the migration of African Americans throughout history. His entire series, The Migration of the Negro, was presented in the Downtown Gallery. In observing the history of Jacob Lawrence, I have learned that he found the ability
...ce was recognized for his talent. Despite the primitive look of Lawrence’s painting the gesture are read and reveals a set of principles inspired by African-Americans. Thus, the modernist aesthetic of his art shows the critical faith of a people oppressed and striving to get ahead. Therefore, elements of his work and themes like man’s struggle produce one of the United States most famous African-American Artist of all times Jacob Lawrence.
Some themes that Jacob Lawrence used in his paintings were constant throughout most of his paintings. Not only does he use the same theme throughout most of them Jacob Lawrence names his paintings based on other themes that he uses. Lawrence portrayed the hardship of African Americans daily life struggles through his paintings. One of the paintings that I chose was Migration. The painting was one of the first that had to do with that particular subject. The painting shows many African Americans walking towards three different stations with three different cities which are: Chicago, New York, and St. Louis. The theme in this painting is not having equal rights as well. African American decided to migrate and live a better life than the one
In the dance world a staggering number of choreographers have made a lasting impact on the way dance is seen to its audience. Alonzo King’s exceptional oeuvre of work includes him in this great history of significant choreographers. He not only created the link between modern and ballet in the twentieth century, but he bridged the ...
beautiful works of art. Douglas reached Harlem and instantly fell in love with the culture and
An important person during the Harlem Renaissance was an artist named Jacob Lawrence. He is one considered one of the greatest painters of modern history. His best known paintings are his paintings based on Harriet Tubman and the Great Migration. For in his paintings he includes his emotions during the great migration. When African-Americans started to flee to urban north in look for jobs and get out of the rural south and the Jim Crow Laws.
Harlem was a crowded, teeming place, and the public school Lawrence attended was considered among the roughest in the area. But Harlem in the 1930s was also the center of what became known as the Harlem Renaissance. To keep her son out of trouble Rose Lawrence enrolled him in an after-school arts and crafts program at a local community center. It was taught by a young African American artist named Charles Alston. Alston liked the serious, quiet Lawrence and made sure he had lots of materials for his efforts. He found that drawing geometric designs in bright colors satisfied him greatly. He soon moved on to elaborate patterns and developed his own method of painting in which particular shapes were rendered in corresponding colors, one at a time. Lawrence continued in this mode through much of his career. The notable consistency of color is apparent in the artist’s later series of story panels.
After graduation in 1920, he went to Mexico to teach English for a year. While on the train to Mexico, he wrote the poem “the Negro Speaks of Rivers”, which was published in the June 1921 issue of The Crisis, a leading black publication. After his academic year at Columbia, he lived for a year in Harlem, embarked on a six-month voyage as a cabin boy on a merchant freighter bound for West Africa. After its return, he took a job on a ship sailing to Holland.
The Harlem Renaissance, originally known as “the New Negro Movement”, was a cultural, social, and artistic movement during the 1920’s that took place in Harlem. This movement occurred after the World War I and drew in many African Americans who wanted to escape from the South to the North where they could freely express their artistic abilities. This movement was known as the Great Migration. During the 1920’s, many black writers, singers, musicians, artists, and poets gained success, including Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Marcus Garvey, and W.E.B. Du Bois. These creative black artists made an impact on society in the 1920’s and an impact on the Harlem Renaissance.
Symbolism is something that represents more than what it really is. It is often by authors in their writing to give it more emphasis. For example:" In life there will always be peaks and valleys" meaning in life there will be ups and downs but we should enjoy the peaks and fight through the valleys. Objects can also be a form of symbolism such as The Bible, it represents more than just a book. It represents Life, Church, Religion, and the life of Jesus Christ and what he stood for. Irony is like a twist or words or the opposite of what is intended. For example: Laughing at someone that just slipped and fell, then later you find yourself slipping and falling is a form of irony. Irony is found in real life situations as well as writings. Symbolism is a technique that gives authors a better story and shows objects as more than what they are. They use techniques like this to catch the reader’s attention.
In the studio of his mentor, Charles Alston, young Lawrence painted while the Harlem Renaissance was blooming with a generation of young artists and writers. He studied at the Harlem Art Workshop from 1932-1937 and at the American Artists School from 1937-1939. In the 1930's there were two main art groups,realism art and abstractionism art. Lawrence rejected both of them and made up his own style of art. His paintings are alive with human figures, usually African Americans, engaged in all different types of activities.
Writers often use symbolism in the story to give a more vivid description rather than just saying, pictures are a perfect example. Symbolism is the art of using any object, place, name or anything that represents something rather
“Art is not an escape, but a way of finding order in chaos, a way of confronting life” (Berry, Wendell). These were the judicious words that were once stated by American poet and educator, Robert Hayden. Despite being raised in an unstable home, moving from his family to a foster family, on top of struggling with impaired vision, Hayden found an interest in black history and poetry which would later bring him great recognition and success. And he would do so by utilizing his broad study of black history to “illuminate the American black experience” (Contemporary Authors Online). Writing of historical figures such as Frederick Douglas, Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman, he shed light on his beliefs and went on to make history in the world of poetry.
In the heart of Miami, Miami Dade College’s (MDC) dance majors put on a performance called The Art of Dance. Under the direction of Michelle Grant- Murray, guest choreographers challenged the students of MDC. The students were also able to exhibit their own work, as this was also their student choreography showcase. The evening consisted of diverse styles such as – African, contemporary, and world dance; unfortunately, I cannot say the all of the pieces impressed me.
Jacob Lawrence was raised in Harlem and within his art are black families and social protest. As a result, he not only challenged the racial status quo but he also included working black females and builders being with their families (Nesbett). Within his piece The Builders, the bright colors of red, blue, yellow,
In the early 19th century, Hubert Harrison and Matthew Kotleski founded the militant "New Negro Movement," which is also known as the Harlem Renaissance, that came into focus during the years following Great Migration and World War 1.This movement insisted on self-definition, self-expression, and self-determination. The “New Negro” term that was popularised by Alain LeRoy Locke during the Harlem Renaissance, gave paramount importance to ideologies that were related to the factors of Great migration like race-conscious demands such as political equality, an end to segregation and lynching, as well as calls for armed self-defense when necessary. The strong emphasis on race pride, solidarity and self help had been a significant part of literary and political self-expression, and economic and moral improvement among African-Americans . The black experience during the Great Migration became an important theme in this artistic movement which had an enormous impact on the culture of the era. The many debates during these years regarding art and propaganda, representation and identity, assimilation and militancy have enriched the perspectives on issues of art, culture, politics, and