The Art and Life of Romare Bearden

Social Activism through Art

Who was Romare Bearden?• African-American artist born in

1911 and died in 1988• Grew up in Harlem during the

Harlem Renaissance• Painter, musician, performer,

activist, scholar, and humanist• Some of his artists influences

include– Paul Cezanne– Pablo Picasso– Henri Matisse

Who is Romare Bearden?• Degree in Education from NYU• Art Students League of New York and the Sorbonne in

Paris, France.• Lifelong love of learning• Surrounded by intellects:– Duke Ellington & Fats

Waller (musicians)– Langston Hughes (poet)– W.E.B. Du Bois (writer)– Aaron Douglas (artist)

Who is Romare Bearden?• First Art Director of

the Harlem Cultural Council

• Founded The Studio Museum in Harlem and the Cinque Gallery

• Founding member of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters

Prolific CareerWell Known for Collage

Out Chorus

Come Sunday

Three Folk Musicians

Return of the Prodigal Son

Quilting Time

She-Ba

Uptown Sunday Night Session

Wrapping It Up at the Lafayette

Published by Bearden

• A History of African American Artists: From 1792 to the Present

• The Caribbean Poetry of Derek Walcott and the Art of Romare Bearden (1983)

• Six Black Masters of American Art, coauthored with Harry Henderson (1972)

• The Painter's Mind: A Study of the Relations of Structure and Space in Painting, coauthored with Carl Holty (1969)

• Li'l Dan, the Drummer Boy: A Civil War Story, a children's book published posthumously in September 2003

A Timeline of Bearden’s Life

• http://www.beardenfoundation.org/artlife/timeline/timeline.shtml

Extremely Prolific Artist• Over 2000 works over his lifetime• Collages• Paintings• Drawings• Monotypes• edition prints• murals for public spaces• record album jackets• magazine and book illustrations• costume and set designs for theater and ballet

Words to know

• Collage– From the French word “coller” meaning to paste

items together• Social Activism– The doctrine that action rather than theory is

needed at some political juncture; an activist is therefore one who works to make change happen.

Words to know

• Juxtaposition– To place side by side, especially for comparison or

contrast.• Distorted– Misrepresented or garbled

• Photomontage– The technique of making a picture by assembling

pieces of photographs, often in combination with other types of graphic material.

Words to know• Mood– A pervading impression of an observer: the

somber mood of the painting.• Stylized– To restrict or make conform to a particular

style. Break a shape down to the basics…• Political– Of, relating to, or dealing with the structure or

affairs of government, politics, or the state.

Part 2

What’s your stance?

Today’s Political TurmoilToday’s Political Turmoil

Where do you stand?

• What bothers you?• What affects you?• What issues do you feel

strongly about?• Who would you vote for?• This is YOUR country.• What is important to YOU?