Black Art and Representation

 

Derek Fordjour "Airborne Double" 2022

     Art has an importance to many cultural events, art has been an important way to express feelings and history. It is able to be consumed by all, regardless of background or knowledge. With a lack of black history being taught, pieces such as this have great importance to teach the youth. Black history has always been shown with artwork, stories, music, and a plethora of other means. The Black American culture has always been dependent on stories being passed down to others, otherwise it would simply be lost. 

The piece I wanted to draw attention to when talking about the importance of representation in exhibits is Derek Fordjour’s piece Airborne Double. This piece clearly shows an acrylic painting of two drum majors, which is a staple in Black culture in regards to HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). This piece is from a much larger collection titled, “Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage”. According to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, “Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage is the first major museum exhibition devoted to exploring the breadth and complexity of Black identity and experiences in the United States through collage.” The statement describes this collection as a creative medium to express black narratives and culture. By using this medium it also shines on collage as an art form. When looking at this collection, I can see aspects of my culture that are usually far from represented. I can connect with this art that others may never be able to, because the works that are being displayed are showing intrinsic parts of my culture. By using a means of medium that were originally popularized by European artists, Black and African americans were able to entangle their own culture, textiles, and stories to make something of their own.

CNBC reported in 2023 how Black representation began to change the museum scene. It reports, “The market for work by Black American artists grew by nearly 400% between 2008 and 2021, according to a recent report from art market website ArtNet.” The article continues to state that the uptick is not consistent. However, with the passing of George Floyd in 2020, the means for black creativity and joy began to show in the works created as well. ““There’s a lot more support for Black artists that kind of came out of George Floyd’s murder and institutions realizing that they need to do more,” Peterson said.” Black artistry has soon found itself in more of a forefront in recent years. Especially after criticism of museums and exhibits focusing more on white, male artists. For the sake of diversity and allowing people of different backgrounds in the spotlight, more focus has been put on female and Black american artists. 


Peace Offering, 2022, by Xavier Daniels, Oil on canvas
Courtesy of artist and Richard Beavers Gallery



It’s also important to note what these pieces or work are showing. CNBC states, “Works from established artists like Kerry James Marshall that depict Black figures are influencing the work of new artists and creating a lineage, Elliott noted. “These are not images of degradation, but they’re images of dignity,”” It is important for Black works or works featuring Black people to show them in a dignified manner. So that the people who are consuming these works will have the same outlook on the people the art is representing. 

As a Black American, I find representation and the usage of art to spread stories to be very important. Culturally, art, stories, music etc. have been the one way generations have passed down our history. Because of that, I feel that it should be focused more in our art institutions. The question is, how can we continue to uplift these stories in a productive way without means of pandering? I think it's simply keeping works like these up year round. To always show these stories on a big enough platform.








Works Cited

Konish, L. (2023, February 26). How representation of Black Artists in galleries, museums is changing. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/25/how-representation-of-black-artists-in-galleries-museums-is-changing.html 

Multiplicity. Multiplicity | The Phillips Collection. (n.d.). https://www.phillipscollection.org/event/2024-07-06-multiplicity 

Multiplicity: Blackness in contemporary american collage (February 18–May 12, 2024). The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. (n.d.). https://www.mfah.org/exhibitions/multiplicity-blackness-in-contemporary-american-collage

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