Above: Bob Thompson,
Descent from the Cross, 1963 oil,
Smithsonian American Art Museum,
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection.
Long Beach Museum of Art

 

African American masters make impression on Long Beach

By Brooke Karli
Daily Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer

Vibrantly painted figures are stroked across canvas, historic past times are depicted in film and somber faces are masked in sculpture throughout the African American Masters exhibition at the Long Beach Museum of Art.

As I walked into the lobby of the museum, I was taken aback by a piece done by Thornton Dial, Sr., titled "Top of the Line (Steel)." The piece is drenched in reds, browns, blues, black and white, and as one approaches the piece, the scraps of metal and roping accenting the collage of color come into focus. Dial's piece was completed shortly after the Los Angeles riots of 1992, which were sparked by a verdict acquitting white police officers that had brutally beaten an unarmed black motorist. After thousands looted businesses and damaged property, Dial combed the streets of L.A. to collect pieces of refrigerators, air conditioners and automobile parts to create artwork.

The exhibition, one of five featuring the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collections touring the nation through 2005, is complimented with paintings by William H. Johnson, Horace Pippin and Beauford Delaney, photographs by Roy DeCarava, Gordon Parks and James Van Der Zee, and sculptures by William Artis, Melvin Edwards and Sargent Johnson, along with many other gifted artists.

Decadent pieces of work that scream of slavery, depression, segregation and civil rights are reflected in colors and attitudes of respect, peace and new beginnings. For example, Jacob Lawrence's 1960 work, "The Library," portrays a Harlem library that homed lectures on African and African American history, along with the largest accumulation of black studies materials in the world. The library ultimately served as a "treasury of resources that contributed to a new black consciousness, helping to inspire the Civil Rights movement," as explained by the artwork's summary plaque.

Jules Allen, creator of "Untitled NYC (125th Street)," relays the concept of strength through a film image developed in 1992. It is a black and white photo depicting black Muslims dressed in suits, hats and sunglasses holding newspapers headlined: "Clash of the Worlds." Allen, wanting to "confront the stereotypical fear of black men in large groups, instead celebrated the power of shared beliefs."

Another piece on display is Richmond Barthe's 1932 sculpted bronze figure, "Blackberry Woman." The sculpture resembles a woman "striding purposefully forward under the weight of her burden," a depiction that parallels Barthe's emphasis on movement. Although not clarified within its description, it could be assumed that the basket that rests upon her head is be filled with cotton, following a long day of labor on the field.

Beyond the beautiful works displayed throughout the museum lie the exclusive characteristics of this particular exhibition. Not only does it include the works of Henry Ossawa Tanner, the earliest recognized African American artist and some of the top artists of the 20th century, but it also spotlights later pieces of artwork.

According to Sue Ann Robinson, director of collections at the museum, "Each piece is an artwork, but also a story." Cari Marshall, manager of marketing and public relations, added, "College students will find this exhibition appealing because many of the artists are contemporary."

The Smithsonian American Art Museum honored the Long Beach Museum of Art by making it the exhibition's only West coast venue. The choice of venue was fitting, however, since the museum consists of three floors of art compiled by adults and children of all ages from all areas. The museum also holds such events as an art auction, allowing emerging artists to get noticed, and Smithsonian Week, which is an art festival that takes place every March. It may take a great artist to capture a moment, but it takes a dedicated museum to enhance it.

Overall, the exhibition is astounding, overflowing with emotion, history and information. It mirrors a time where family and music were the heart and soul of every household. The art has several inspirational messages, as well, one of which being to keep your head up in depressing times and desperate measures, as so many African Americans did when faced with bondage and social separation. It is an exhibition that reminds all of us, no matter the age, gender, race or religion that the origin of African Americans will, as it always has, continue to thrive among today's culture.

The exhibition runs from Oct. 1 through Nov. 28, and features highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.