Figuring History: A Look at Black Representation in Western Art
A quick look at the Figuring History exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum.
When looking through the catalog of western art dating back to the 15th century, one can only ask: "who paints and writes history?" (Catherina Machanda) Curator, Catherina Manchanda successfully examines this question in the Figuring History exhibition in the Seattle Art Museum. American artists Robert Colescott (1925-2009), Kerry James Marshall (1955) and Mickalene Thomas (1977) created the twenty-six paintings that fill this exhibition. They found inspiration from famous western paintings that celebrated the virtues of society. However, the celebration of attributes did not include the ideals of people of color. The goal of this exhibition is to change the narrative to represent a collective past. While these three artists evaluate different aspects of art history, it is clear the intention is to create a conversation about race and history.
The Figuring History exhibition makes a clear statement of the racial themes explored by the artists. In the Richard and Elizabeth gallery, the first of four galleries that make up this exhibition, the viewer immediately acquaints a copycat of a famous Northern Renaissance painting by Jan van Eyck titled The Arnolfini Portrait (c. 1934). Eyck's painting depicts a pregnant Caucasian woman in a voluptuous dress. However, in Robert Colescott's copycat, Natural Rhythm: Thank You Jan van Eyck (c. 1976), the woman portrayed is a black woman. The conversation had with Colescott's painting transcends throughout the entire exhibition. As we continue our walk through Colescott's work, six more of his acrylic on canvas figurative paintings express issues of history and race, primarily observed in George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware: Page from an American History Textbook (c. 1975). Colescott's inspiration for this painting stemmed from his time at school where he noticed that his history book mentioned Black contributors to the American Revolution. While cited as notable figures, low-status depictions continued to represent people of color. Colescott ironically addresses the dichotomy of race and power, while Kerry James Marshall explores the late lives of the 1960's.
The Souvenir Series tends to the sentiments of the viewers the most. Growing up near the Black Panthers headquarters, Marshall's life experience served as the context for his paintings. Marshall's encounter with the social-realist painter, Charles White, was a reframing experience that inspired much of his work. This series depicts the lost lives of members of the Black Panthers and NAACP representatives that did not reach the same mainstream success as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Isolated in the Samuel and Althea Stroum gallery, the series hosts five large pieces of unstretched canvas decorated in glitter, acrylic, collage work. This series has the exhibitions most bold, and striking compositions. The first two installations in this series is a two-part story, Souvenir I and Souvenir II (both c. 1997), that rest side by side. A black woman is shown moving a vase of flowers from one table (Souvenir I) to another table (Souvenir II) in respect of the lives lost during the Black Liberation movement. In addition to The Souvenir Series, Marshall also contributes two more series to Figuring History, one of which see's us off as we leave the exhibition.
Although the text panels throughout are helpful in identifying the intentions of the artist and give a brief historical summary of the inspiration, the viewer's knowledge of western art is vital to the understanding of symbolism behind some of these works, especially Mickalene Thomas's marvelous collage inspired by the late 18th-century artist, Edouard Manet. Resting in the last gallery, The Le dejeuner sur l'herbe: Les trois femmes noires (luncheon on the grass: Three Black Women) (c .2010) (see fig. 2) spans the entire back wall of the Norlciffe Gallery and is the most significant piece in the exhibition, about 80' across. Placed in front is a conventional, low rise living room set. Initially an elaborate photo shoot, Thomas then deconstructed the photograph and reconstructed with individually placed rhinestones, fabrics, and acrylic paint in a cubist manner. Here we see three Black women looking at the observer as if we have just interrupted their conversation. One of these women is holding Golden Apple of Discord, a symbolic fruit in Greek Mythology where: upon the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, the uninvited goddess Eris treated the golden apple as a prize of vanity and threw it into the air for Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite to catch. Eris' misjudgment is believed to be the inception of the Trojan War. While observing Thomas' collage, it is implied that the relationship between the viewer and these three women is indicating that we are Eris, and Aphrodite just caught the apple. The placing of the apple in hand brings up many possibilities of what Thomas is trying to convey, whether it be a lack of Black figures in western mythology or merely creating a conversation about sexuality.
After a patient and detailed exploration of Figuring history, this last series brings the show to a close on a positive note. We revisit Marshall in a final series called The Vignette Series inspired by The Swing (c. 1767) by Jean-Honore Fragonard. These five images allude to the lack of desirable depictions of Black figures in France's 18th and 19th-century paintings, especially the Rococo movement. Marshall does not simply replace the woman on a swing shown in Fragonard's painting; Marshall's interpretation is an embodiment of a "swing," telling a story of a young woman lifted into a sky filled with hearts. Both patrons are expressing vitality; almost as if there are means of commemoration. As this concludes the Figuring History exhibition, one can only consider Manchanda's question: "Who paints and writes history?" (Catherina Manchanda) Although history is beautiful and can celebrate the virtues of culture, it lacks art that represents a narrative for all people. Concluding with The Vignette Series, it is here to remind us all that no matter how hard life's trials can be, celebration lingers in any corner.
Works Cited:
Colescott, Robert. George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware: Page from an American History Textbook. Figuring History, figuringhistory.site.seattleartmuseum.org/robert-colescott/george-washington-carver-crossing-delaware-page-american-history-textbook/.
Manchanda, Catherina. Wall Text, Figuring History. 15 Feb. - 13 May. 2018, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle.
Tomas, Mickalene. Le Déjeuner Sur L'herbe: Les Trois Femmes Noires. Figuring History, figuringhistory.site.seattleartmuseum.org/mickalene-thomas/le-dejeuner-sur-lherbe-les-trois-femmes-noires/.
