“The subject matter of Kerry James Marshall’s paintings, installations, and public projects is often drawn from African American popular culture, and is rooted in the geography of his upbringing. Marshall’s work is based on a broad range of art-historical references, from Renaissance painting to black folk art, from El Greco to Charles White. A striking aspect of Marshall’s paintings is the emphatically black skin tone of his figures—a development the artist says emerged from an investigation into the invisibility of Black people in America and the unnecessarily negative connotations associated with darkness. The sheer beauty of his work speaks to an art that is simultaneously formally rigorous and socially engaged.” – Art21
Click here to learn more about Kerry James Marshall.
This post was submitted by Mrs. Taylor.
Who has inspired you? In celebration of Black History Month, the OICL Task Force invites you to share or film a short video about someone who is important to you. Please send your submission to OICL & Ms. White with a short introduction to the video and/or the person featured in it, and we’ll include it in a future Bulletin post!