Why Not: A Blog

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Marc Chagall: The Colorful The Creative The Considerable...

The 20^th was the century of the Modernist. The established art world was flipped, turned, reinvented and remodeled in distinctive, brilliant and remarkable ways. Works produced by Picasso (Woman Weeping) and Munch (The Shriek) became symbols of their times and sparked a certain ethos. Dali’s Premonition of Civil War is one of the most disturbing paintings ever put to canvas while yet, strangely beautiful and alluring. It’s depiction of a creature wreathing in pain as it pulls and tears away at itself is fascinating. Fancis Bacon’s Study after Velasquez: Portrait of Pope Innocent X spoke to the fears and hopelessness embraced by many. The original serene baroque vision of a pope as produced by Velasquez became something of a nightmare when re-imagined by the mind and hand of Bacon. The practitioners of modern art; Picasso, Munch, Dali and Bacon addressed the dark dystopia hysteria of their times. But not so much did their peer, Chagall.

Marc Chagall was a Jewish/Russian born artist that sought freedom from his home country’s oppressive ideology, first in France and later in the United States. In spite of his objections to communism he remained true in spirit to his humble origins and his beliefs. This was within itself a radical thing. He loved his life and his people as he loved the whole of humanity. Chagall works to this day remain colorful, fanciful, unfailingly life affirming and intoxicating. The characters in his robust works; really poetic sagas, float, soar and entertain with joy. Canvas painting, stained glass and murals were all master by Chagall. Romantic love, the circus, village life and “The Crucifixion” were interestingly enough among his favorite subjects. He even and rightly so included Jewish symbols within many of his crucifixion paintings. He remains very much cherished and admired as well as an inspiration to lovers of art, religion and freedom.

As we look at the world today there are those living in the regions of Chagall’s birth; especially in Ukraine and in Russia that long for the same freedoms of life and creativity sought out by Marc Chagall. Chagall was able to realize his dreams in the West. There are the many that hope, long for and are willing to fight for those same realizations within their home-land. There is no reason that they shouldn’t. Some rights are inalienable but there are those that disagree and fight for the opposite. For those who believe in something better than oppression we give our support in every way we can. The works and life of Chagall are proof of the realization of freedom and the fulfillment of dreams. We celebrate Chagall, those like him and hope for their present and future. We hope for their best and better days.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

The Banjo Lesson

There has always been a special place for Henry Ossawa Tanner’s “The Banjo Lesson” in my personal exploration, understanding and connection to art. “The Banjo Lesson” is a high point in Art History as well as a pleasurable, visual feast for the connoisseur. Tanner executed this work with his usual mastery of technique, light, color and composition. He chose to provide two light sources, emanating from the left and right of the central figures; the soft light from a window and the gentle glow from a fire place. The composition draws the eyes to the central features of the young boy and the older teacher/grand-parent figure. The work emotes with a purity of heart from a tradition dating back to the baroque period. The sentiments are genuine here and Tanner excels.

This particular work (The Banjo Lesson) and Tanner himself were of personal importance simply because after years of creating and studying art in school and independently it failed to expose me to the works of any African Ancestry Artist. I was being denied something that I should have been able to take for granted; the knowledge of visual artists of African descent. A definite and defiant part of me knew these artists existed but I was in some kind of vacuum that was failing to acknowledge any historical or contemporary example of creation or culture. I had learned of the works of Winslow Homer (The Gulf Stream) and Norman Rockwell (New Kids in the Neighborhood.) These are two works of note that I still enjoy but I needed to experience the creations of great Black Artists for reference and as a connection of spirit. The early seventies were still a time of exclusion for “artists of color.” Books, magazines and videos failed to produce evidence of any Black aesthetic. Yet; I was destined for that element of my life to be remied.

My room-mate at Ferrum College; Addae Jahi, would land a job in what was then called the AV (Audio/Visual) Room that changed what seemed almost futile; my search for an African American identity in art. While looking through the AV archives He found a multi-media production devoted to African Americans in art and culture. The production featured the works of many greats ranging across fields. Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and Lois M. Jones were featured as visual artists; I knew nothing of them before. This was a treasure trove to me. It was Tanner’s work that stood head and shoulders above the others from my then point of view. Addae had found something of incalculable value; a thing iconic in nature, my first viewing of “the Banjo lesson.” Tanner was the quintessential African American Artist.

Since my initial encounter of “The Banjo Lesson” in video I have seen it reproduced in many other forms including: books, posters and digital. I even had the great fortune a few years ago of seeing the original where it resides at Hampton University in my home state of Virginia. I remember climbing the stairway into the gallery; seeing the seminal, distinctive work of Tanner on the opposite wall and then standing before it. I remember within that moment of loosely bridled passion a total rapture, a cosmic blessing, all vanities replete and somehow my existence complete.