Comparative Discussion of Two African American Visual Artists Essay Example

in Stockton, California but later moved to Atlanta, Georgia together with her family where she spent whatever is left of her youth life (Shaw, 2010). The two artists’ desire for artwork developed at an early age. Walker’s passion for art began at the age of three years while that of Lawrence began at the age of thirteen. However, Walker’s ambitions of becoming an artist changed as she grew older but later sought to become an artist.

Lawrence introduction to the field of art happened at the age of thirteen after enrolling in Utopia Children’s Center where he attended an after-school program. Despite dropping out of school at the age of sixteen years, Lawrence pursued his desire in the field of art by registering for classes at the Harlem Art Workshop while at the same time he continually visited Metropolitan Museum of Art (Howard, 2006). After winning a scholarship to the American Artists School, New York in 1937, Lawrence graduated in 1939 where his mastery in the artwork was already evidenced. By the time of his graduation, Lawrence had adopted a new style of modernism where he created narrative series together with paintings of around thirty artworks on the same subject. Experiencing a different childhood from that of Lawrence, Walker grew up in Atlanta in Georgia and after completion of high school; she was enrolled at Atlanta College of Art in 1991. Walker graduated with a Bachelors’ degree in Fine Arts with a specialty in painting and printmaking (Shaw, 2010). After three years, Walter graduated with a Master’s degree in the same field from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Like with the case of Lawence, Walker’s success

in drawing began immediately after completion of studies. The same year she completed her master’s degree, Walker debuted a mural titled ‘Gone’ in New York City Drawing Center. According to Rounthwaite (2007), the mural was a representation of the historical romance that depicted civil war. The mural proved crucial in Walker’s career while equally ranking her among the leading artistic voices that captured the issue of race and racism. She has since then remained a consistent representative of race and racism problems in the American society particularly with regards to the issue ofAfrican Americans and their history. Other than capturing the issues of race, Walker has made various drawings that signify her support of feminism. Most of her images depict the problem of racism in the modern American society and a variety of other social as well as economic inequalities that persist and divide the U.S today. As opposed to adopting a one-liner approach, Walker uses her images in the form of riddles in that help in depicting the complex issues that are experienced in the U.S today. Coming from the African American ethnic minority, Walker’s images captures most issue that affects the community and women in particular.
Lawrence like Walter’s has successfully managed in communicating his message and emotions to the target audience through images. However, unlike Walter’s whose artworks began in a period when there were no significant shifts in the literary world, Lawrence’s work was significantly influenced by the Harlem Renaissance. One of the most influential figures of Harlem Renaissance, Charles Aston, served as Lawrence teacher in the Art Workshop. According to Howard (2006), the history of African Americans and how the American

life has affected the community serves as a primary subject in Lawrence work like in the case of Walter. That emanates mostly from the artist’s experience in white dominated regions during his early and later years. Lawrence effectively makes use of visual arts in conveying historical episodes especially when it comes to issues that affect the blacks. For example, in his most valuable painting that remains the most ambitious project, ‘The Migration of the Negro’ in 1940, the artist makes use of his emotional response in conveying the challenges the blacks underwent during the era of slavery (Rubin, 2009). The image depicts series of occurrences that the blacks underwent as they moved northwards in search of jobs, freedom from oppression and better housing.

It is important noting that the past of the two authors inspired their thinking that prompted to the images that they consequently made. In the case of Walker, growing up in a society where African Americans were a subject of racism and a time when local movement groups sought to ensure equal treatment irrespective of race or skin color, she felt the need of capturing such crucial social issues in visual arts. Additionally, growing up in an era of active feminist movements, Walker’s work still reflects the concern for equal treatment of women portraying her as a supporter of feminism. Again, as her father was a painter, her relationship with her father right from an early age influenced her to love the artwork. As in the case of Walker, Lawrence was equally influenced by his experience and he captured that experience in visual arts. For example, ‘The Migration of the Negro’ draws a

close connection with the challenges his parents and fellow tribesmen encountered while moving from the South to the North for better opportunities (Rubin, 2009). Lawrence parents had moved from South Carolina to Virginia and eventually to New York all driven by the need for a better life that was missing in the South.
Despite the significant similarities between the two African American visual artists, there are various differences in their works other than the timeline when they made their artworks. One such difference is depicted in the nature of the visual arts of the two artists. Lawrence’s visual arts are colored, often making use of different colors to attract the attention of the viewer (Howard, 2006). Walker, on the other hand, works in collage where she cuts out and consequently affixes a white or black paper directly to gallery walls while at the same time makes use of light projectors in casting shadows of the viewers into her silhouetted narratives. Another notable difference relates to criticism of the works of the two artists where Walker has received negative criticism for various subjects covered in her visual arts as opposed to Lawrence. Walker’s work has not only stirred controversy among the whites but equally among the African Americans. For example, some older African American artists criticized her for making use of what they attributed to black stereotypes in her artwork and even made efforts of organizing a boycott of her work. In another instance in 2012, the Newark Library located in New Jersey had covered up a large drawing by the artist that depicted a white man as he held the head of a naked black lady

on the groin following complaints from patrons and employees (Shaw, 2010). However, the drawing was later uncovered. Despite the controversies with some of Walker’s drawing, she serves among the most influential African American visual artists together with Lawrence.

References
Howard, N. S. (2006). Jacob Lawrence: American scenes, American struggles. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications.
Philips Collection Organization. (2001). Jacob Lawrence - Bio. Retrieved from http://www.phillipscollection.org/research/american_art/bios/lawrence-bio.htm
Phillips Collection. (2007). Jacob Lawrence and the migration series: Teaching kit. Washington, DC: The Phillips Collection, Education Dept.
Rounthwaite, A. (2007, November). Image and Narrative - Article. Retrieved from http://www.imageandnarrative.be/inarchive/autofiction/rounthwaite.htm
Rubin, S. G. (2009). Jacob Lawrence in the city. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
Shaw, G. D. (2010). Seeing the unspeakable: The art of Kara Walker. Durham: Duke University Press.