The Image of Black in Western Art

Detail from "Prayerscape: Sister Friends, 2011"

For those who tried to read my first post, sorry about that. For some reason, the rest of the post got lost. So, here we go again!

...I have a bit of a secret....


I have become fascinated with the many shades of WHITE. To the extent that I started keeping a WHITE journal, and have begun working on my WHITE quilt made form old feed sacks.... What actually is the fascination? Not sure. Except it does have something to do with that first paper quilt I found in an apartment I rented once, and my Prayerscape series (image above). The idea of lovely black skin and beautiful white paper...Every since woman of color first begin to emerge from my mixed media paper....

So then image my joy when I clicked my way this morning to this new series of books on the Image of the Black in Western Art. WOW! Four volumes so far. Ten in total. Really beautiful imagery. Here is more about the work:

"In the 1960s, as a response to segregation in the United States, the influential art patron Dominique de Menil began a research project and photo archive called The Image of the Black in Western Art. Now, fifty years later, as the first American president of African American descent serves his historic term in office, her mission has been re-invigorated through the collaboration of Harvard University Press and the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research to present new editions of the coveted five original books, as well as an additional five volumes." (From Image in Black web site)

.... Must confess along with my obession for the color WHITE, my growing hunger for image of black people through history. And YES! I have already ordered fromt the series. I am interested to see how this will play out in my work....

More links
Louis Gates, Jr., talking about the evolution of the series on You Tube.
Image of the Black In Western Art
W.E.B. Dubois Institute