African American Masters: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum [Hardcover]

Gwen Everett (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0810945118 | ISBN-13: 978-0810945111 | Publication Date: July 1, 2003

This is an accessible, reader-friendly introduction to 20th-century, African-American art, illustrated with works from the Smithsonian American Art Museum and published to accompany a touring exhibition. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is the nation's greatest repository of African-American art, and the works represented in this catalogue range from pioneer works created early in the century to important pieces from the Harlem Renaissance, to modern and contemporary selections. Full-page colour reproductions of paintings, sculpture and photography from artists such as Romare Bearden, Roy DeCarava, Faith Ringgold, John Biggers and Gordon Parks provide an introduction to this area of art.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Admirably designed and thoughtfully curated, this slim catalogue of 52 art reproductions accompanies the Smithsonian's eponymous exhibition of 20th century black artists, which will tour the country through 2005. Encompassing photographs, paintings and sculptures, the catalogue presents some of the most accomplished works in the museum's collection, from James VanDerZee's dignified portraits of middle class men and women in 1920s and '30s Harlem to Earlie Hudnall's striking 1991 photograph of a young boy boldly staring into the camera. In Roy DeCarava's 1949 image Graduation, New York (from The sweet Flypaper of life, a book he published with Langston Hughes), a girl in a spotless white gown glides through a desolate landscape of urban decay. In his brightly colored paintings, William Johnson celebrates the dynamism of Harlem and looks back at his childhood in rural South Carolina. Joseph Delaney brings to life the vibrant crowd scene of Penn Station with a WWII era painting. Each work is complemented by illuminating commentaries written by Everett (Rising Above Jim Crow: The Printings of Johnnie Lee Gray), an adjunct art history professor at Howard University and the Corcoran College of Art and Design. Reflecting African and European, folk and modernist influences, the art reproduced here is a vital part of American cultural heritage. Full-color and b&w illustrations.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Gwen Everett is an art historian who has written extensively on the subject of African American art and folk art.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810945118
• ISBN-13: 978-0810945111
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,435,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vibrant and diverse, April 28, 2004

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AfroAmericanHeritage (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: African American Masters: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum (Hardcover)

This vibrant catalog accompanies the Smithsonian touring exhibit of the same name, focusing on artists of the 20th century and featuring a diversity of ideas and media. There are 52 full-page illustrations, 38 of which are color. The book is organized alphabetically by artist, with an alphabetical index by titles. The narratives (usually a paragraph or two) provide interesting background about each piece; it's like having a docent along for the tour. The only drawback is there's very little in the way of biographical information, perhaps only a sentence at most. So, this book is a wonderful supplement, but not a primer on African American art...then again, it's not intended to be. Instead, it is a celebration, a small taste of the masterworks owned by the American people. I feel it's significant these works are in a public collection for all to appreciate, and curator Gwen Everett has done an outstanding job in presenting them here.

Gerri Gribi, Curator: AfroAmericanHeritage.com