Art History:Black Legends

“The seine” oil on canvas by Henry Ossawa Tanner 1902

The past few years I have observed black people everywhere across the world reclaiming their power in an unapologetically completely loud and authentic way. Black men and women have been building tables and pulling up chairs in their respective fields. You most likely have an artist you’ve discovered on social media that you’re a fan of. Social Media although controversial has paved the way for many artist to showcase their works without the need to beg galleries to showcase their talent.

Ever wanted to know who paved the way for these artist to stand boldly in their truth. The men and women who went against convention and society at a time when one had to work a million times harder to be seen as a respectable black man. Those individuals who rose up against adversity within their art. Art History is where I will showcase the minority who followed and lived in their authentic code to create art that represented so many things to so many different individuals.

Our first Legend in this series will be an artist whose photographs you’ve probable seen in passing but have not quite dived into their history. Move forward to our next blog post to learn a little bit about Gordon Parks