Category: Brooklyn Museum Assignment–Soul of a Nation

Brooklyn Museum part2

   <p>William T. Williams (American, born 1942). <em>Trane</em>, 1969. Acrylic on canvas, 108 x 84 in. (274.3 x 213.4 cm). The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York. © William T. Williams. Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York</p>

Image result for pablo picasso art mirror reflection

This artwork seems to look interesting to me somehow because of its colors, lines, and shapes. However, this artwork was by William T Williams was an American abstract geometric painting. Williams included the colors red, blue, yellow, pink, purple, green, black, brown, and orange. Not only his colors were outstanding but also the shape of the line, such as thick and thin line, big and small shapes. The line of the shape or sharp edges were all connected together. Mostly, the shapes were squares and rectangles.

I can compare the artwork to another famous painter named Pablo Picasso. He was  spanish painter and I used to learned about him in my art class.  This artwork was called”Girl Before A Mirror” Although he uses different techniques to design his artwork. However, he drew a mirror reflection with some black line pattern, circles as the body parts, black and white triangles as the chest and all different colors on the faces, hair and body. It actually shows a figure of a girl with an emotional feeling while the other artwork does not but only with a geometric shape.

P.S — The picasso painting was not in the museum, I just wanted to talk about the connection between them that I found it interesting.

Couple Walking

I was honestly very moved by the ‘Soul of a Nation’ exhibition. As the name suggests, the exhibition did portray the soul of this nation during a time period where African Americans were so contested and resilient. The exhibition really portrayed a realistic view of the conditions of African Americans through the disparate artwork of more than sixty Black artists. Among some of the most beautiful pieces of artwork, the Couple Walking photo captured by Roy DeCarava stood out to me mainly because of its realistic portrayal. The photograph spoke volumes about the sense of comradery, resilience, and companionship among the two subjects. However, in light of the movement and change that was occurring for the African American community at the time, I think this photo further represents a union and love shared among the suffering Black communities all over America. Though it is a black and white photograph, there is a warmth that welcomes the observer to think about the man and the woman faced away from the camera, holding tightly onto each other. They seem to be waking away from the camera and the scene captured almost candidly by the photographer. The man in the photo is wearing a sleeveless shirt with jeans, and the woman wearing a head scarf, and formal attire. Though kind of contrast in their clothing style, their love and adoration for each other become expressed through their arms which surround one another. For me, looking at this photograph this couple seems hopeful as they walk through a historically, politically, and socially relevant time period in America. I feel hope not only for the couple but, also the African American community as they walked together holding arms in a fight for equality and justice.