Frabric Vendors; Team One Art
"So why should the Negro painter, the Negro sculptor, mimic what the white man is doing, when he has such an enormous colossal field practically all his own; portraying his people, historically, dramatically, hilariously, but honestly?"
~ Archibald J. Motley, The Art Story
For the first time, African-American life was portrayed realistically in paintings and exhibits, allowing blacks to finally see themselves and their experiences reflected in art. They finally gained control over the representation of their identity in Western culture, breaking the stereotypical barrier that had previously kept so many black voices from artistic expression.
"The art was important then in creating a new visual lexicon for African Americans against histories of dehumanizing and degrading stereotypes and imagery in the American popular imagination." ~ Stephanie Williams, Harlem Renaissance's Cultural Explosion, in Photographs
Lift Up Thy Voice and Sing; Smithsonian Art Museum
Two Women; Scholastic
"Your problem, dear Langston, my problem, no, our problem is to conceive, develop, establish an art era. Not white art painted black . . ."
~ Aaron Douglas, letter to Langston Hughes
Black artists also began developing styles related to the culture of Africa, bonding with their roots.