200 Years at the Rosenfeld

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Today I received an invitation to an exhibition at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery called quite plainly “African American Art: 200 Years.” For those who are aficionados, the list of artists whose works will be shown may not come as huge surprise. But that’s what makes me so happy about this show: Many of the artists have become so well-known, so documented, so a part of art history that they are old hat! This is good news to me (although not to some, but I plan to write about the dissent among artists of color in a future blog)

For those who want to gain a basic grounding in African-American art, this is a great place to start; there are works by nineteenth-century artists such as Robert Scott Duncanson, as well as living artists such as Elizabeth Catlett. Two hundred years of it. I want to get a good look at a few of these pieces close up and pretend, for a moment, that I could actually own one of them (I'm particularly enamored of the image at the bottom right of this entry, and imagine that the actual piece must be stunning; I hope I'm not disappointed).

Another reason to visit and support the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery is that it represents many types of artists, but it has been consistent in its efforts to bring works by black artists to the fore. All types, of all disciplines and styles.

The opening reception is on January 10 from 6-8. I am planning to attend it; if you’d like to meet me there, shoot me an e mail or telephone, I’d love to see any friends I haven’t already in the New Year (and those I have).

The show runs from January 10 to March 8.

On a similar note, I am told by great friend Wayne Kral that the Martin Puryear show at MoMA is really wonderful. That only runs until January 18. Check out some of his works and words here.


Art, from top: Landscape with Haystacks, France, 1912. by William Edouard Scott; Southern Landscape, 1941 by Eldzier Cortor; Girl Wearing a Bonnet, circa. 1810 by Joshua Johnson; Carnivale del Sol, 1962 by Norman Lewis

Comments

The Cajun Boy said…
great stuff! i may have to check this out.
January 8, 2008 at 1:55 PM
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