Negro Art

The twelvemonth 1919 witnessed the st imposture of a very important movement in the creativity in graphicss by the disconsolate Ameri tricks. This movement is cognise as the Harlem Renaissance the flourishing of African American cultural and intellect life. It featured the creativity of the pitch blacknesses in the field of guiles, catering to their every need, base of operationsardized literature, drama, medicament, visual art, and dance. It encouraged the artisan in every black American to stand up and be recognized. unsanded York Citys Harlem would be the center stage for painters, sculptors, musicians, and importrs to produce works of art. During this time art was apt(p) over a huge responsibility it would become the main medium by which the African American persist would strive for equivalence.Black Writers and the pitch blackness ArtM some(prenominal) black writers, much(prenominal) as Alain Locke, W.E.B. DuBois, and Langston Hughes wrote specifically about t he impressiveness of art and its ability to heighten equality. Although many black writers agreed with this idea, other more(prenominal)(prenominal) conservative writers did non such is the case with George S. Schuyler. In his work The negro-Art buncombe Schuyler states that race and art argon separate, and t here(predicate) is no blackness Art but altogether American art. While his integrated and collective adopt of art colourthorn throw away a positive out gestate in our time, it was less than advance for those living during the Harlem Renaissance. Looking at both sides would mean exploring the depths of how these writers understood Negro Art and American Art.Alain Locke and The late NegroThe importance of art was first exposed by Alain Locke in his famous essay The New Negro. This essay is often seen as the catalyst for the growth of a newly movement within the African American society. Written in 1925, Locke aims to tell the nation that African Americans atomic number 18 changing and adapting under the well-disposed prejudices that have previously been forced upon them. The mind of the New Negro is piteous away from social discourse, and it is shaking off the psychology of imitation and implied lower rank (Locke pg).A new group of plurality are being make he calls them the New Negro. Locke calls for workmanic contributions by the black race. He believes that with art, the race will gain cultural recognition he looks at the role of art as a bridge between individuals and socializations (Gates 984). This is a trans validation of some sort something which doesnt rely on how things are usually done something that embraces a new psychology and possesses a new spirit.Alain Lockes The New Negro aims to define the new black American lifting him from the images of slave trades and plantation workers. He explains how the old concept of Negro is more of a mythical figure, something which the society has dictated it to be. This is usually a vie w of the oppressed poor, being stepped on while some people are holding them back. These characteristics however, were more of a conceived trait rather than a perceive trait.The society thinks that up until that time, the Negroes were low lives who are incapable of artistic perceptiveness and production. They have their eyes closed about the Negros achievements, including literature, music and visual arts. Alain Lockes The New Negro is non necessarily introducing a new breed of black Americans. It is more of an eye-opener of what these people have created and what theyre capable of doing in the context of art.W. E. B. Du Bois and his Criteria of Negro ArtThe following year W. E. B. Du Bois contributed similar views of art and race with his speech Criteria of Negro Art, in which he specifically defines art as the key to equality among the races. He states that art is propaganda and that it should always be propaganda. DuBois feels that art is a way of proving ones humanity. medio cre as soon as the black artist appears, someone touches the race on the shoulder and says. He did that because he was an American, not because he was a Negro he was born here he was trained here he is not a Negrowhat is a Negro leastwise?He is alone human it is the kind of thing you ought to expect (Du Bois pg). This portraiture of racial equality by means of art is an inspiring call for the emergence of black artists. According to Du Bois, black American art should utilize legality as a tool. Since art is propaganda, it should aim to seek the truth and attest the truth. artists will fully understand art if they are truthful with what they create, with what they write artists should be truthful with the way they handle their art.The Negro-Art Hokum vs. The Negro operative and the Racial MountainIn 1926, the June issue of The earth featured The Negro-Art Hokum by George S. Schuyler as well as Hughess response gash The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain. The magazine had an gered Schuyler by appointing Hughes as a critic before the article had even appeared (Kuenz 174). Ultimately, the join of these two essays lends many to play favorites among the two rather than assess severally piece as its hold subject. As one would expect, Schuyler often receives disallow opinions.George S. Schuyler viewed art as something that should not be divided by any race instead, it should just be recognized through a sealed nationality, and in the case of the Negro art, it should just be classified as an American art. Schuyler may have a point, but he was not able to properly explain and defend it. It could mean that he was more concerned in further marginalizing the situation of the black Americans, thats why he opted for a more general classification which is considering Negro art as American art.Aside from his color, which ranges from very dark brown to pink, your American Negro is just plain American Negroes and whites from the self uniform(prenominal) localities in this pastoral talk, think, and act about the equal (Schuyler). He made a stray however, when he somewhat talked down on the black Americans because it seems that he has no regard for the black burnish, saying that it is just a matter of color. He may have generalized on the artistic aspect of black Americans, but they also posses a culture which has essentially contributed in the formation of the country.Schuyler didnt recognize the existence of the black American culture This, of course, is tardily understood if one stops to realize that the Aframerican is merely a lampblacked Anglo-Saxon (Schuyler). This statement made by Schuyler somewhat looks down on the African American culture, assuming that they have just black counterparts of the white residents of the country.Black Americans have a fat culture, including a wide influence in art. This doesnt give any person the right to assume that they are just colored counterparts of the majority.One argument that Schuyler raise d was that black Americans are living the same lives as white Americans, thats why there shouldnt be any difference even in their perception and appreciation of art.When the jingle-jangle of his Connecticut alarm clock gets him out of hisGrand Rapids bed to a breakfast similar to that eaten by his white brother across the street when he toils at the same or similar work in mills, mines, factories, and mercantilism alongside the descendants of Spartacus, Robin Hood, and Eric the Red when he wears similar costume and speaks the same language with the same degree of perfection when he reads the same Bible and belongs to the Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, or Catholic church.When his fraternal affiliations also include the Elks, Masons, and Knights of Pythias when he gets the same or similar schooling, lives in the same kind of houses, owns the same makes of cars (or rides in them), and nightly sees the same Hollywood version of life on the screen when he smokes the same brands of tob acco, and avidly peruses the same puerile periodicals in short, when he responds to the same political, social, moral, and economic stimuli in precisely the same fashion as his white neighbor, it is sheer nonsense to talk about racial differences as between the American black man and the American white man (Schuyler). This lengthy but meaningful passage by Schuyler could be considered as his basis for the argument that whites and blacks are just superficial concepts.However, he didnt consider one thing culture goes beyond what you eat, what you do for a living it is deeply rooted in the peoples emotions, a basis for their character formation. Once it is imprinted in their personality, these black Americans would certainly recognize what is black and what is white when it comes to art.The Negro-Art Hokum can be seen in a number of different ways and can easily be misconstrued. It has caused some to view Schuyler as a traitor to his race (Gates 1220).Hughes attacks this self-asserti on in The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain. He argues that African Americans should be proud of their heritage and culture.Langston Hughes The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain, he points out that despite living in a country modify with white people, African Americans should never look away from where they truly came from. They should stand up for their heritage and culture, which could be manifested in different forms of art. According to Hughes, the Negro artist is full of potential, because he has a very rich culture backing him up. Without going outside his race, and even among the bring out classes with their white culture and conscious American manners, but still Negro enough to be different, there is sufficient material to furnish a black artist with a life story of creative work (Hughes).This statement means that the Negro could truly afford to be different because they are characterized with a rich culture, as well as great talents that would supply a lifetime of creative works in the form of literature, visual arts, and more. People possessing these skills and talents should not be ashamed of his roots. Instead of succumbing to the white Americanization of these artistic skills, African Americans should centralise on how they would be able to make their culture stand out. They should making love their own, especially their artists who posses the talent that could match and even surpass any artist from other races.The African American people should learn to appreciate their own creations, and address these as the output of a black American, and not of a commoner. Many blacks wanted to be assimilated by the whites and their culture, but to Hughes, he suggested that it is better to accept what you really are Why should I want to be white? I am a Negroand beautiful (Hughes)The racial mountain is the obstacle which the black Americans should be able to conquer. They may be living in a country full of white people telling them what to do, what to think, and what to follow. The black Americans have to overcome this push-shove treatment being given to them, and that could be realized by strengthening their own culture. They have a lot of potential, added the fact that they posses talented young minds. All they have to do is to stand up to the challenge and prove that they can truly be considered a unique, independent culture.Look at Race in art Locke says its important, Dubois says its important, Hughes says its important. Schuyler says there is no race in art- that art. He has a good point- but it seems that he was overlooking the importance it can have for a culture. He seems to overlook the fact that equality had not yet been achieved and that his fellow artists wanted to gain that equality through art. Its interesting that Schuyler was denying that very vehicle that would hopefully gain the equality he presumed to be already in effect.Schuyler seems ahead of his times. He writes The Negro-Art Hokum in 1926 and argues t hat there is no Negro-Art there is simply American Art, and no quality between the two. Although he makes an understandable argument it seems that he denies the main problem. We can see how one may agree with Schuyler in that both African Americans and white Americans have had an affect on one another. But when we look at what Hughes says about racial pride, its hard to agree with Schuyler.Works CitedDuBois, W.E.B. Criteria of Negro Art. 1926. The Crisis. November 7 2007. .Gates, Henry Louis, and Gene Andrew Jarrett. Introduction to the New Negro. The New Negro Readings on Race, Representation, and African American Culture, 1892-1938. Ed. Alain Locke. New York Atheneum, 1968. 3-16.Hughes, Langston. The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain. 1926. The Nation. November 7 2007. .Locke, Alain. Introduction to the New Negro. New York Atheneum, 1968. 3-16.Schuyler, George S. The Negro-Art Hokum. Nation 122 (1926).