Caged Butterfly

African American women artist, were extremely unrecognized although the work they produced spoke volumes and they not only live in the shadows of Men artist but also in the shadows of white women as well.  Although the feminist moment appeared to be an era where all women are exhorted because this meant change for women. This did not quite mean change for  African American women. African American female artist were treated as if they did not even exist due to the fact that during this feminist movement era those that were European Americans did not support African American women Artist or African American women in general. This topic is interesting because although women and art has always been a huge dilemma, women of African American decent were truly oppressed and had to fight harder than the average European American. The work of African American women artist held a true significance that often reflected upon their struggles, and went unnoticed for a great amount of time and even now I am sure half the class cannot name more three African American Artist. 

Study has also shown that art was more than just a recreational hobby for African American women especially after the emancipation where freed slaves relied on all forms of art from sculptures to spirituals. The not only relied on art for there self motivation but for their message to be heard by those that have once enslaved them. Artist such as Harriet Powell or Edmonia Lewis told stories in their art that not only told the stories of African American but told stories about history and mile stones we as Americans have reached. Even with such important art the issue of African American female art is still underrepresented at museums such as the Whitney Museum of American Art where the work of 103 artist is presented yet only nine of them are African American and one of the eight is was fictional and made up by a white man, which is ridiculous. So in all reality there was only 8 artist and this has inspired me to take the opportunity to create a poem or spoken word that indicates the struggles of African American women artist. This spoken word will allow me to present not only to my peers but those that will view the video to feel as African American female artist felt at the time with my words. The fact that some of these artist such as Harriet Powers simply had to work with what she had to create art versus the women who were not “black” who had more access to resources than African American women as well as rights. The video shall demonstrate these struggles and relate to how African American women were not only inferior to men but to white women as well. 

References 

Teer, Barbara A. "“Set Your Blackness Free”: Barbara Ann Teer's Art and Activism during the Black Arts Movement." Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 36.1 (2015): 136-59. JSTOR. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.

The Role Of The Black Artist." The Black Scholar 42.2 (2012): 41-45. Academic Search Premier. Web.

Miranda, Carolina. "Art and Race at the Whitney: Rethinking the Donelle Woolford Debate." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 2015. Web. Mar. 2015