Hello Everyone,
I watch black documentaries all the time, and because it’s Black History Month, a lot of black movies and documentaries are being shown. Two nights ago, I was watching “Black Art: In the Absence of Light” on HBO Max, and it discussed how there were so many black artists who had not gotten recognition for their work.
https://www.kanopy.com/product/black-art-absence-light
Many artists had not only reflected on their works, but also reflect how some of their works are still unknown. One artist, Faith Ringgold (who I had the pleasure of talking to while in graduate school) discussed her boldness with her artwork, and how she became more of a feminist because of the discrimination she faced from the American public and other well-known black artists. One thing that was said at the beginning of the documentary that is still true to this day is that Black artists have to prove they are artists AND individuals.
This documentary made me think of my career as an artist and a fashion designer/fashion illustrator, and how the discussion and works of Black artists were almost non-existent. I attended a predominately white university with an excellent art department, and I couldn’t help but notice that besides Jean-Michel Basquiat (who I don’t even consider an influential artist, but for some reason, others do), no other black artists and their works were being discussed during lectures. The only reason Basquiat was even discussed was because he worked with Andy Warhol. Luckily, I grew up reading Ebony and Jet Magazine where several articles were written about black artists and their works, as well as watching “Good Times”, where the artworks from Ernie Barnes were routinely shown. When I would bring up different black artists during lecture discussions, the professors and students would look at me as if I was speaking a foreign language. What ticked me off the most was that a lot of black students didn’t even know about black artists. It was even worse in graduate school. Although everyone knew of Andre Leon Talley, no other black artists or fashion designers were discussed. I remember when Stephen Burrows, a world-renowned fashion designer from the 60s and 70s, came to visit and critique our work, I was the only student who knew about him. When it came to my fashion illustrations, I had to change some of the features of my fashion figures and not make them brown-skinned or dark-skinned, basically “white-washing” my figures (I changed some of the features, but I did not change the skin color). Another thing I noticed was that the Caucasian figures were always on display at the school.
As for the documentary, it is a very great documentary, and it shows the works of several artists from different eras. It delves into the creative and political side of black art and black artists, and how in this present day, black artists are still fighting for recognition. As for my career, I’ve been an artist for over 21 years, a fashion designer/fashion illustrator for over 14 years, and a fashion professor for over seven years. I find myself doing a lot of research on different styles of fashion illustration, and I’ve noticed that Caucasian fashion illustrators’ works are always mainstream, except for minority fashion illustrator, Hayden Williams. I honestly feel the reason my work has not gone mainstream is that I’m quick to create black fashion figures. I’ve always felt that black women are the most beautiful and fashionable people in this world, and we are not celebrated enough. I still create original garments and fashion illustrations, and I will continue to do so. I will also continue to celebrate black women, no matter the creative element.
Until Next Time…