Monday, July 27, 1998
Harlem Sights
ART: ‘Rhapsodies in Black’ highlights the renaissance of African
American art, music and dance in the 1920s
By Laura Noguera
Daily Bruin Staff
At one time, they were slaves – part of a repressed and
smothered culture. After finally gaining their freedom, they began
the long civil rights battle, using any weapon – even art – to
express their frustration and determination. African American
artists soon established their community’s culture in a creative
explosion, known today as the Harlem Renaissance.
African Americans and activists worldwide joined together in
this artistic expression using various mediums. "Rhapsodies in
Black," an exhibit which captures the African American lifestyle
and perspective during the Roaring ’20s, begins its three-month
showing on July 26 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
(LACMA).
"(Rhapsodies in Black) makes a deliberate point of including
representation of black achievement in film, dance and literature,
as well as the classical arts," said Howard Fox, the exhibit’s
co-curator.
The canvas, whether plaster or piano, became these artists’
voices during the revolutionary years. An outpouring of creativity
depicting African Americans in positive images, both sexually and
economically, is now classic art, but at the time, it provided
inspiration for communities and motivated people to take action in
the civil rights movement.
The Harlem Renaissance art show features paintings by activist
Archibald Motley Jr., known for his urban images of socially
respectable African Americans. Some of Motley’s work concerns the
issue of bigotry, but he devotes most of his talents to
highlighting the positive aspects of the Harlem community.
One "Rhapsodies in Black" painting, "Brown Girl After Bath,"
depicts a young woman sitting on a regal red blanket as her
reflection is captured in the mirror of a luxurious vanity.
Richmond Barthe’s sculptures also established this heightened
confidence among African Americans.
"His style didn’t change much," Fort said. "But he was the first
to install that black is beautiful."
New York City’s African American community and other cultures
respected these artists.
"They were received quite enthusiastically," says Ilene Fort,
exhibit co-curator. "There were exhibitions in New York City,
Chicago and Oakland."
LACMA is aware of the interest the Los Angeles community has in
the Harlem Renaissance art, especially by established artists Jacob
Lawrence and Aaron Douglas, leaders in the artistic movement.
"When we had a Jacob Lawrence show here (at LACMA), Howard Fox
didn’t realize (Lawrence) was such a cult figure until he went with
him to Central Avenue," Fort said. "There was a huge, long line for
his signature."
Douglas and Lawrence’s Los Angeles reputations prompted
organizers to devote entire rooms to Douglas’ modernist paintings
and Lawrence’s "Toussaint L’Overture" series, which tells of black
Haitian history.
Included with the paintings, drawings and sculptures are the
sights and sounds of 1920s Harlem. Various archival multimedia
stations fill the gallery with the ragtime, blues and jazz sounds
which appeal to all audiences.
In one large listening room, four stations hold a nine-hour
collection of influential musicians, vocalists and songwriters. The
original recordings, some which are not available to the public,
feature the vocals of Victoria Spivey as well as the infamous tunes
of Duke Ellington and Fess Williams, who some consider the fathers
of big band jazz.
Rare film clips revive many Harlem legends in small television
corners or a specialty mini theater. In one video, Actress
Josephine Baker shines on the screen in footage from "Zou Zou,"
followed by actor Paul Robeson’s performance in J. Elder Wills’
"Song of Freedom."
Perhaps the exhibit’s most compelling aspect is the
international representation among the artists. Although the images
focus on Harlem culture, Central Americans and Europeans
contributed to the movement.
"(The Harlem Renaissance) was really a phenomena of
international achievements," Fox said.
The exhibit features two pieces by Mexican artist and
anthropologist Miguel Covarrubias, known for his socially
reflective caricatures. In these drawings, Covarrubias
significantly unites two cultures in portrayals of African American
dancers wearing classical, flamenco-inspired garments.
Langston Hughes’ poetry also scatters the walls throughout the
exhibit. Poems reveal the times through the African American
perspective, playfully using the Harlem lingo.
Along with many of the artists in exhibition, Hughes’ work ties
together all the accomplishments of the Harlem Renaissance while
establishing the community’s mission. Paintings and archives
function as a history lesson and ongoing reminder of African
Americans’ struggle and survival.
"During the Depression no one bought anything," Fort said. "But
the art, literature and music always stayed visible."
ART: "Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance" runs
July 26 through Oct. 19 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
For more information, call (213) 857-6522.
Photos courtesy of Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The "Rhapsodies in Black" exhibition features works like
"Blues," by Harlem Renaissance artist Archibald Motley Jr.
"Girl in a Red Dress," a 1934 oil painting by Charles
Altson.