Essay Sample on Jacob Lawrence & Carrie Mae Weems: Exploring African American Experience

Introduction

Jacob Lawrence was an African American painter whose arts were revolving around history and life and blacks (Hills, 2019). He created paintings that vividly highlighted the African American experience as well as their religion, history, and most importantly, their civil rights. Carrie Mae Weems is also an African American artist and photographer, and contrastingly through her artistry, she examines and explores the modern American life through a combination of audio, photography, and text (Raymond, 2017). Conversely, Lawrence created a deep meaning of humanity devoid of racial segregation (Hills, 2019). He highlighted that people regardless of their race, have universal desires and wishes, and he conveyed this through exemplary artistry. On the other hand, Weems, through her photography, explored different themes revolving around race, African American experience while at the same time addressing issues concerning gender (Raymond, 2017).

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Contribution to the Cannon of African-American Art

Lawrence made a significant contribution to African American art, and he achieved this by emphasizing on African Americans history and experience. He participated in the exhibition of African Negro Art at the Modern Art Museum, and he displayed different African sculptures (Hills, 2019). On the other hand, Weems has been advancing significant visual statements, and she has been doing this through her numerous photographic series (Raymond, 2017). More importantly, Weems has demonstrated her great support for upcoming artists by initiating interviews and performances that feature artists, curators, and musicians, among others (Raymond, 2017). Moreover, through the guardianship of Charles Seifert who championed for the conveyance of African American heritage through pictorial narrative, inspired Lawrence to concentrate on the historical perspective and the struggles of African Americans (Hills, 2019). In the same vein, Weems inspired many African American artists, and this helped in the reinforcement of the concept of African American art.

Time Reflections of Their Work

Lawrence's works greatly reflected his time, particularly when he was enlisted in the United States Coast Guard during World War II (Hills, 2019). He was later assigned the role of Coast Guard artist, and this enabled him to document the war experience as he traversed the world. Conversely, Weems artistry has been greatly influenced by modernity, and the complexity in the social and political landscape has enhanced her desire to utilize art in highlighting some of the world's emerging issues and more specifically gender (Raymond, 2017). Moreover, the advancement of technology has helped Weems in advancing her works by using films, audio, and photography to create a convergence between the past and the present. Furthermore, Lawrence's painted works were premised on his memories while he performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem (Hills, 2019). Additionally, Lawrence lived at a time when African Americans were undergoing through various struggles, and his paintings reflected on the black experience at the time.

Appealing Nature of Their Work

Lawrence's work which was considered as one of the best narrative series was The Migration of the Negro. This narrative created a convergence between conventional storytelling and abstracted style. This work is more appealing because of it vividly depicted the indignities of the African American imprisonment (Hills, 2019). He depicted men have huge and strong, and the depiction of their immobility demonstrated their powerlessness during the enforcement of racial laws. Concerning Weems, her works revolve around humanity, where she focuses on things and ideas that bring people together and those that segregate people such as racism and sexism (Raymond, 2017). Moreover, her exhibitions highlight memories about gender and race, which is more appealing.

There are some unknown details about Jacob Lawrence, and despite training at the Harlem Art Workshop, he was particularly averse to the ideas of the artists at Harlem Renaissance (Hills, 2019). Also, one of his works The Migration of the Negro was majorly based on his personal experience at a family level (Hills, 2019). He was committed to depicting the complexity of the African American life in Harlem, where he highlighted the religious and social significance of the church. Concerning Weems, her entry into African American artistry was influenced by earlier photographers like Roy DeCarava, who demonstrated the black experience (Raymond, 2017). Weems represents the art by exposing people to different experiences which assists them in forming personal opinions.

Lessons from the Artists

It is imperative to note that artists often play an integral role in the life of people where the interconnection between the present and the past is created to help in improving our lives. The works of Jacob Lawrence help in highlighting the history and experiences of the African American, and this helped in developing a deeper understanding of African American life. Moreover, the artistic works of Lawrence illuminated the social, economic, cultural, and political life of American life. In the same vein, a lot of teachings could be drawn from Weems artistry. Her works that were mostly anchored on humanity reaches us to embrace every aspect of humanity and stay away from practices that have the potential to segregate people such as racism.

References

Hills, P. (2019). Painting Harlem Modern: The Art of Jacob Lawrence. University of California Press.

Raymond, C. (2017). Women Photographers and Feminist Aesthetics. Routledge.