This experimental course explores both depictions of Black subjects in the so-called “western art tradition” and the emergence of Black artists within an elitist art historical canon that not only reflects and supports white supremacy, but is actively utilized to further argue against the merit and very existence of Black cultural contributions in the Global North. Accordingly, the assignment responses you'll find in this compendium interrogate the use of Black subjects by European artists, grapple with prevailing concerns in the western canon that have lead to the systematic exclusion of Black artists and aesthetics, and work to untangle philosophical themes that have, for far too long, fashioned the white male perspective as natural, neutral, and superior to all others.

Our course traces the emergence of Black artists in the 19th and 20th centuries, and examines the jubilant and varied successes of Black artists in the 21st century. Students considered works not typically covered in art historical surveys such as folk art, quilts, and literature to address gaps in scholarly research and understanding. We also considered painting, sculpture, photography, and new genre works intending to problematize, complicate, and intervene in assumed and exclusionary narratives and foundational art historical texts.

At the heart of this work, we asked who is served by narrow restrictions, and what responsibilities might viewers hold as artists, scholars, and citizens to challenge art’s institutions? The investigations collected here aimed to develop a clear and compelling understanding of the remarkably diverse and rewarding artistic expressions of Black artists and subjects from the colonial period to the present.