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AH 329 Black Subjects in White Art History: Fall 2020

Jordan Casteel 'New York Up Close'

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Why are there no great black artists?
Throughout art history we have continually seen a misrepresentation of black subjects within the art world. We’ve grown up with this normalised notion of the ‘white’ body as being the ideal form, and that anything that strays from that is ‘impure’ or simply ‘not beautiful.’ Looking back on all my past art history classes, never once did I come across a painting that glorified black subjects or painted them in culturally appropriate ways. In all my studies, black subjects have been depicted in scenes of slavery. This falsification of black subjects implanted a negative expectation within me. It created a barrier that closed other ideas that I might have previously had towards the way black people are presented within art. As a result of the influences from the western canon, we’ve been forced to learn about art history from a singular perspective. It’s crucial that we educate ourselves on this topic, as there’s such an incredible lack of diversity and representation within art history. When black artists are not properly understood we lose a sense of importance and representation. In order to fully understand and recognise black artists we must identify black subjects in works of art that represent more than just the Western ideals. While educating myself on everything that is going on at the moment with the Black Lives Matter movement, I stumbled across three artists: Colin Bootman, Jordan Casteel and Kehinde Wiley. Something that these African American artists share in common is that they all depict black subjects from a culturally representative perspective. They paint black subjects in ways that celebrates what it means to be black.

Growing up the types of art that I was exposed to, primarily depicted black subjects in scenes of slavery. The painting that instantly comes to mind is Edouard Manet’s Olympia, 1865. In this painting we see a successful young prostitute reclining on her bed with her servant standing behind, offering the young prostitute a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The black figure in this painting has been pushed into the background and her skin blurred with the dark green curtain behind her. The figure is depicted in a way that diminishes any sort of importance she may have had -she is so ‘irrelevant’ that she blends into the curtain. We see this misrepresentation of black subjects in multiple works of art by artists during this time. Unless portraying a scene of labour or slavery, black subjects weren’t perceived as worthy subjects. Toni Morrison, an African American novelist, wrote an article called ‘Playing in the Dark.’ She discusses how ‘whiteness’ has impacted the portrayal of black subjects, and the negative connotations that have been made towards black people as a result of the lack of representation. Morrison tells us that, “as a reader [she believed that] black people signified little or nothing in the imagination of white American writers.”[1]She later went on to talk about how black people are usually only mentioned “as the objects of an occasional bout of jungle fever…to provide local colour or to lend some touch of verisimilitude or to supply a needed moral gesture, humour or a bit of pathos.”[2]We are repeatedly seeing black people misrepresented as a means of making white people look superior. Toni Morrison is spot on with her perspective on the way black subjects are represented within literature, and this also applies to the way black subjects are traditionally represented within art. Within this reading Morrison also includes a segment from Edgar Allan Poe’s, ‘The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym.’ A line that I find particularly striking from this passage is, “the black man dies, and the boat rushes on through the white curtain behind which a white giant rises up.” The way the author describes white subjects is so contradictory to how those of racial minorities are described. He uses the word ‘giant’ when describing them, which instantly belittles black subjects and enforces a sense of superiority. When telling a story, Edgar Allen Poe describes the “hue of the skin of the figure [as] the perfect whiteness of the snow.”[3]This description completely contrasts anything that we have witnessed of the description of black subjects. This idea of this ‘perfect whiteness’ is completely degrading to non-white racial groups and implies that being white is ‘perfect’ and anything that strays from that is imperfect.

For the longest time we’ve only seen depictions of black subjects from the perspective of white artists through the western canon. An artist that I have recently been exposed to is Collin Bootman. Collin Bootman is an artist and illustrator, who moved from Trinidad to New York, as a child, to study art. From an early age, Bootman had this fascination with the rich and diverse culture of his native home and New York City. Bootman gets inspiration for his work from his own personal experiences. In an interview with Bridgeman News he was asked how he brings so much life and energy into his paintings, to which Bootman responded by saying, “I start thinking about folks I know, family members, friends, and people I have worked with in school.”[4]These personal experiences add so much truth to his work and completely contrast the work previously discussed, where black subjects were only depicted from the western perspective. What I find so inspiring about Collin Bootman’s work, is that he shows black subjects in scenes of everyday life. One of my favourite pieces of work that he did is a painting called ‘Harlem Jig,’ 2001. This is a three-figure composition of children playing in the streets. This piece has been painted so beautifully and represents childhood in a way that I had never seen before. There is such an electric sense of energy within this painting, from the expressive brushstrokes the artist has used to the moving limbs of the children as they dance. Their faces show pure delight and they completely embody the carefree energy that we all have during our childhood. The children in this painting are not looking at the viewer, but instead at each other. It’s almost as if we’ve taken a quick snapshot of their life as a memory for later years. This isn’t a staged piece, it’s completely natural and depict a black subject in an everyday setting. Throughout his work Collin Bootman uses vibrant colours to depict his portraits of African American subjects. His work is inspiring. As a black artist he creates culturally appropriate artwork that reflects black life.

Jordan Casteel is another black artist who has specialised her craft in painting from photographs of people she has encountered. Her work is primarily life size and depicts her subjects within their natural environment. Casteel takes inspiration for her work from the world around her and she paints the people she encounters within her everyday life. In an attempt to represent the world, she lives in, Casteel paints the people that would usually go unnoticed. She depicts black subjects from a very intimate and personal way, in which you would actually have to interact with the subject to form a deeper connection. A quote that the artist uses repeatedly is ‘stay in the moment.’[5]This is such a powerful message and something that you can clearly see present throughout all of her work. The way she observes the world around her is so empowering. Casteel really highlights those who usually go unnoticed and shines a light upon those who ‘are easily unseen.’[6]Her work really represents the multitude of experiences she has had throughout her life. ‘Glass Man Michael,’ is one painting that I find particularly striking. In this painting there is an elderly man sitting on a stool, and next to him is a table topped with an array of glass items. The figure is situated outside, in front of a graffitied wall. Similar to Collin Bootman’s work, Jordan Casteel depicts an image of everyday life. It’s a truthful and honest reflection that shows a small part of what it’s like to be a black person. The figure in this painting is staring directly at the viewer, almost inviting us into the piece. He is dressed in casual street attire -black trainers, blue jeans and a khaki green button-up shirt. There are so many small moments within Casteel’s work that go unnoticed at first glance, but once you pay closer attention you really begin to understand a deeper meaning.

A third artist that I discovered recently amidst everything within our current climate is Kehinde Wiley. Kehinde Wiley is an African American portrait painter from New York. He is most famously known for his highly naturalistic depictions of black subjects. Probably his most famous piece was his commission, back in 2017, of the President Barack Obama, for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. In 2009 Barack Obama made history by becoming the first black president of America. Commissioning a black artist to paint the portrait of America’s first president was such a successful decision and really boosted Wiley’s career as an artist. Wiley is famously known for his vibrant portraits of famous African American figures within the Western world. Wiley’s portrait of Barack Obama features the president seated in the centre of the composition, staring directly at the viewer. He is such a powerful figure and he’s almost looking down at us slightly. His seated position is full of authority -his arms are crossed, and his feet are firmly placed upon the ground. The background of this painting is a forest of vines interweaving with one another. Among the vines are an array of flowers with different colours and designs. Bright colours play such a key role within African culture. The closer to the equator you are, you tend to notice more vibrant colours being used within all aspects of life, from things such as architecture to fashion. Wiley’s use of colour within his work is so interesting and really connects with the work of traditional African artists. Pattern as well is also prominent within his work. He incorporates such complex designs that support his subject matter and balance the composition of his work. There is so much beauty within this portrait and it’s incredible the way the artist has portrayed his subject. The work of Kehinde Wiley is a celebration of black lives and glorifies the lives of those who are a part of a minority group.

In 2004, Michelle Wallace wrote an article called ‘Why Are There No Great Black Artists?’ This article was really interesting to read and highlighted the problems of lack of representation within African American culture. The author discusses the black image and how the issues faced by the black community are far ‘larger than life.’ An interesting point that she talks about is the film industry. As a film major, I am continually exposing myself to a range of work from all cultural groups and something that Wallace mentions, that particularly struck me was how the ‘prominence of black directors in film threatens to change the picture [of black representation].’ She continued to talk about how ‘the difficulty of the project for black film has to do precisely with the history of a mostly invisible black visuality.’[7]We live in a time where black people almost have to define their blackness. A film I watched recently that supports this is The Green Handbook(2018). One of the most significant scenes within this film is when Don Shirley, a world class African American pianist, is talking about his experiences with racism. Something his character says that is particularly impactful is, ‘I suffer that slight alone, because I’m not accepted by my own people. I’m not like them either. So, if I’m not black enough and I’m not white enough and if I’m not man enough then tell me, what am I?’ We continually see black subjects represented in this way and it’s the same thing within art history. I’ve seen so many paintings of black people are slaves or workers, but very few that portray black subjects in scenes of everyday life. There is a lack of representation of black communities within art history and, as a result, we lose valuable insight into the different cultures. Something else Michelle Wallace talks about in her article is how, as an African American intellectual, she ‘knows how difficult it is…to engage in critical cultural practises.’[8]Throughout the article she addresses how there is a lack of ‘great black artists’ and challenges the wisdom of ‘excluding regimes of visuality from discussions of black popular culture.’[9]While reading Wallace’s article I really felt like I was able to step into a world where I was the artist.

Even though in recent years there has been a development into the way black subjects are represented within the art world, there is still a great deal of misrepresentation. There needs to be a better representation of black subjects, beyond just slavery. There is such an absence of black subjects within art galleries, especially within the world’s largest galleries such as the MET and the National Gallery. The works of the artists I’ve mentioned have paved the way for a new representation of black subjects. However, in order to witness a change within the art world we have to address one of the biggest issues, which is art museums. The majority of art on display at exhibitions is the work by, usually, white male artists. How can we expect to change the way we perceive art for future generations, if the main corporations aren’t changing their ways? Even though there is still a long way to go, black artists who are able to exhibit their work creating pieces that shine a light on black culture.

[1]Morrison, Toni. Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination. New York, 2003: Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc, 2019.
[2]Morrison, Toni. Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination. New York, 2003: Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc, 2019.
[3]Morrison, Toni. Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination. New York, 2003: Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc, 2019.
[4]Images, Bridgeman. “Interview: Collin Bootman.” Interview: Colin Bootman, 2016. https://www.bridgemanimages.us/en-US/6121/interview-colin-bootman.
[5]Casteel, Jordan. Jordan Casteel, 2015. http://www.jordancasteel.com/.
[6]Casteel, Jordan. Jordan Casteel, 2015. http://www.jordancasteel.com/.
[7]Wallace, Michelle. Why are there no great black artists?New York, 2004
[8]Wallace, Michelle. Why are there no great black artists?New York, 2004
[9]Wallace, Michelle. Why are there no great black artists?New York, 2004