A comparison between contemporary African American Artists and Jacob Lawrence

1. A comparison between contemporary African American Artists and Jacob Lawrence Jackie Henson-Dacey Riverview High School

2. Jacob Lawrence and the Harlem Renaissance • The Harlem Renaissance grew out of the changes that had taken place in the African American community since the abolition of slavery. • Social and cultural changes in early 20th century United States became a great influence for the art produced during the Harlem Renaissance. • Contributing factors leading to the Harlem Renaissance were the Great Migration of African Americans to northern cities • Factors leading to the decline of this era include the Great Depression.

3. Jacob Lawrence • Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1917. • He spent his early childhood in Pennsylvania, but at age 13 moved to Harlem with his mother and siblings. • He received his training at community art centers in Harlem and the American Artists School in New York. • His works are in the permanent collections of the nation's leading museums.

4. Jacob Lawrence – The Street and the Expressions of Freedom.

5. Jacob Lawrence • Lawrence was foremost among African-American artists for more than six decades • His art ranges from contemporary genre scenes, set in supermarkets and in Harlem; to historic events, including black migration to America's northern cities and the aftermath of Hiroshima.

6. Jacob Lawrence • Lawrence also wrote captions to accompany the paintings. • In 1986, when he began transferring these older paintings to screen prints, Lawrence decided to rework many of the images he had created a half century earlier. • Image sizes were more than doubled, and colors and compositions were enhanced or brightened.

7. Justin Bua (1968) • For the past ten years Justin Bua has been making a mark with his urban flavored paintings. • His combination of graffiti-esque style, distorted realism and urban themes has made his paintings some of the most popular art among young people today. Bua’s work is available nationwide at stores like Z Gallerie, Deck the Walls and Prints Plus. • However, the biggest markets for his work are the college campuses in America and Canada, where he is a best seller. • He was born and grew up in New York City’s un-tamed west side.

8. Justin Bua, The Jazz Trio and Midnight

9. Justin Bua • Went to school at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. • Received a B.F.A. in Illustration. • He makes his living doing illustrations for The Nike Corporation, Atlantic Records, Warner Bros., and BMG Music and is promoted by American Vision Gallery.

10. Corey Barksdale • Was born in Nashville, Tennessee into a family of Artists. • He was exposed to color and form at an early age by his grandmother a quilt artist, and his mother who was a very gifted artist. • This rich beginning is the root of Barksdale’s creative expression. • Earned a B.F.A. in Painting from Atlanta College of Art and Design.

11. Corey Barksdale, Jazz Crusader, Dance of Passion, In the Street

12. Corey Barksdale • He was heavily influenced by abstract expressionism and admired Jasper Johns, Clifford Still, William deKooning and African American artists John Biggers, Romare Bearden and William Tolliver. • Images range from human figures to non-objective abstracts. Concentrations range from love to strength.

13. Assignment: Formal Comparison • Examine Jacob Lawrence and one of the contemporary artists: Corey Barksdale and/or Justin Bua. • Do a venn diagram in you sketchbook that compares the similarities and differences of the two artists. • Write a paragraph (in sketchbook) that summarizes the comparison. • Create one page with sketches that show your influence (based on one artist).

14. Studio Project • On a piece of 9 X 12 inch paper create an image that represents JAZZ. • Use the artists we studied as inspiration. • Use oil pastels as your medium. * Assessment: 1) Imaginative/Expressive; 2) Purposeful use of material.