Paper 1 - Xiongyue Yu
The Achievement and Significance of Black Women Artists in Black Cultural History and Art Movements from the 1960s to the Mid-1980s
Art has always been the popular element most closely associated with politics. The Black Arts Movement, born in the 1960s, was a black nationalist movement that consisted primarily of black artists and intellectuals who were concerned with and wanted to actively improve the problems of black society at a time of great importance and anxiety for the black community. They were involved in a variety of artistic fields including music, literature, theater, and visual arts, and formed the cultural component of the Black Power Movement of the 1960s. (National Archives, 2022)
While that time of turmoil and panic was filled with sadness, chaos and riots, it also inspired an awakening of black human rights thinking. This sense of autonomy led to the flourishing of black music and the creation of a wide range of art. These black art activists organized dynamic art performances that engaged the community, including art and cultural festivals, as well as art exhibitions, books, and other presentations that used pictorial documentation as a means of expression. These artistic creations have had a positive impact on the Black cultural movement because their creators and participants share an ideology that expresses many of the ideologies of Black self-determination, political beliefs, and African American culture.
It was also during that particular period that there were, of course, a large number of outstanding black women artists who viewed humanity, politics, and art from an inclusive and unique perspective that distinguished them from male artists, resulting in a large number of legendary female jazz musicians, gospel musicians, art activists, photographers,and painters. Their works often expressed the themes of reunited families, delicate emotions, and female independence, but at the same time, they did not lose their passionate indictment of reality and their strong will to pursue the ideal of freedom.
Black women artists of the period also had to express and address the social issues of the time through their art, but their soft and gentle artistic style often did not allow them to express overt political overtones in their works, but rather tried to add an immersive artistic experience by empathizing and narrating with the viewer. (Valentine, 2021) The Black Women Artists Collective at Where We At, for example, creates and activates intending to be a source of empowerment for African American women, providing an autonomous and free means of self-expression for Black women, and exploring more deeply the sensitivities and aesthetic issues of Black women from a female perspective.(Dallow, 2004) Black women artists are therefore more obviously concerned with the unique social issues of black women than with the human rights of black people, and in this they often need to cooperate and support each other from a female perspective, creating opportunities for themselves when they are not given enough attention, and creating their alliances with the unique experiences and feelings of women. (Valentine, 2021)
Betye Saar is a legendary figure in contemporary American art, having studied printmaking during her difficult school years and eventually becoming known for her innovative forms of painting created by combining multiple materials. In terms of content, in addition to her focus on inspiration, cosmology, and family, Betye's work is overflowing with history and emotion. She likes to describe an experience in her images and reconnect that experience time with time.(Adler, 2019) Such artistic expression made Beyte visible in both the political and artistic spheres of Southern California and had a definite social impact.
As the social events of the time intensified, the style and expression of her work became progressively more radical and powerful. In her famous The Liberation of Aunt Jemima, for example, she uses a variety of materials such as cotton, trees, metal, and plastic to create a colorful yet lively painting. At the same time, the aunt is transformed into a warrior to oppose the violence and negative stereotypes of black people in American society at the time.
Aretha Franklin's music added pop music to her gospel music which was then almost identified as outside of black music. And amidst the critical criticism of the time, she boldly brought fused music to her concerts, such as one of her masterpieces Wholly Holy. And amid these controversies, Aretha, with her devotion that transcended religious beliefs, absolute passion, power, creativity, and beauty, proved with great music that pure and sacred art need not be separated by racial or cultural barriers. Even apart from the external factors of knowledge and perception of the artist, the music's rhythmic and soulful vibrations are enough to captivate every listener, and that is all one should know about gospel and soul music.
Nina Simone, a jazz artist of the same era, is full of stronger emotions in her art than the acceptance and love expressed by Aretha, presenting herself to the listener with an indignant and impassioned attitude; Nina wants to give a voice to her people with her voice, expecting the minds of the people to be led by this passionate music. She has experienced loneliness and rejection, but even alone, she has spent her life pursuing her ideals of music and freedom, using music as a weapon to fight on, Nina Simone shows the most enduring persistence and the fiercest burning of the artistic flame that an artist can possess. (Godfrey & Whitley 2017)
To sum up, it can be seen that black women artists in any field of art are giving positive feedback and expression to this society and this movement in their ways and ideas. Their gifts and talents have also become an eternal treasure in the world's art history with the sedimentation of history and the recognition of the times.
The art universe built with art and love is all-encompassing, open and innovative, and open to all cultures, styles, and races, as demonstrated by the black women artists who participated in black art from the 1960s to the mid-1980s.
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