Glorious Mornings by James Denmark

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In his studio in Yemassee SC, using brightly hand colored papers and found materials, Denmark creates compositions that go beyond the superficial and transitory. He focuses, instead, on what is eternal and universal. Denmark’s work is consistently and eagerly sought after by galleries and collectors worldwide, most notably New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

     “Trust and faith creates confidence, which allows me to move forward with my work,” stated Denmark. “I leave everything to the spirits. I step back every so often to peek at found collage materials, and to ponder new possibilities. I am a party to improvisation, found materials, and the impact of color.”

Born in 1935, Denmark was exposed to color and form at an early age by his grandmother, a wire sculptor and quilt artist, by his grandfather, a bricklayer noted for his unique custom design molds, and his mother who was gifted with an intuitive feeling for design and a fastidiousness for detail which she expressed in all aspects of her daily life. While attending Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, Florida on a sports scholarship, he came under the tutelage of the artist and acclaimed African-American art historian, Dr. Samella Lewis, who exposed him to great traditions and accomplishments of the African -American art movement.

Denmark moved to Brooklyn, New York and began a career as an art teacher in the public school system, and from 1973 to 1976, earned his Master of Fine Art Degree at the prestigious Pratt Institute of Fine Art. Denmark met and was nurtured by an immensely talented community of artists, including abstract expressionists as Jackson Pollack, Clifford Still, and William DeKooning. The African-American masters Norman Lewis, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and Ernest Crichlow instilled in him an appreciation of his African-American artistic heritage, and he began experimenting with collage. Prior to this period, he worked primarily in watercolors and charcoal.

James Van Der Zee (1886-1983)

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Born June 29, 1886 in Lenox, Massachusetts, the son of Ulysses S. Grant’s maid and butler. After attending schools in Lenox, he went to New York City in 1906 and held a series of jobs as a waiter and elevator operator. From 1909 to 1915 he played in Fletcher Henderson’s band and the John Wanamaker Orchestra (and in an orchestra that accompanied silent films).
Attracted to photography, Van Der Zee got a job as a darkroom assistant, and after learning the fundamentals of photography he opened his own studio in Harlem in 1916. On the upper end of Manhattan, Harlem was only then becoming a haven for African Americans and during the next five decades he would photograph African Americans of all social classes and occupations. He took thousands of pictures – mostly indoor portraits, though he occasionally went out and photographed the Harlem scene.
Although Van Der Zee photographed many of the African American celebrities who passed through Harlem, most of his work was of the straightforward commercial studio variety – weddings and funerals including pictures of the dead for grieving families, family groups, teams, lodges, clubs, or people simply wanting to have a record of themselves in fine clothes. He often supplied props or costumes and in his developing – which he did himself – he would add pictorial touches with an air brush or double-printed images.
Forgotten for many years, Van Der Zee had retired and was reduced to poverty when in 1969 the Metropolitan Museum of Art mounted an exhibition called Harlem on My Mind that brought him and his work renewed attention and rewards. He took up photography again in 1980 until his death.

The Renaissance Man (Gordon Parks)

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The Original Renaissance man is one of his many titles.

The achievements of Gordon Parks alone, proves that any vision can become a reality if you take advantage of an opportunity, work hard and believe in yourself.

From birth, Parks went against all odds.

He came into this world as a fighter, still born and pronounced dead with no heartbeat. Parks was laid aside to be buried,  a shocking technique that included putting his body in ice-cold water brought him back to life.  And from then on, the legend continued to make his mark by reaching major milestones and going where others were afraid to explore.

Before his death he became an internationally-renowned photographer, filmmaker, poet, novelist and a composer. Parks was the co-founder of Essence magazine; he even wrote a ballet and dedicated it to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Three Friends by Ellen Powell Tiberino

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The initial, and naturally most obvious aspect of Tiberino’s work, is her technique. Her people, and one can only think of them as the “people” in her work rather than the work’s “subjects,” seem beyond life-like: elongated figures; exaggerated, yet graceful and powerful hands; faces and heads emphasized, sometimes with little more than a suggestion of a body. Her people are strongly rendered, given a pulsating life-force through line, shape, and color. Her figurative style is unique, and her control over line and shape, hue and value is both complete and dramatic.

“KANDY” by Lorraine Daley is a POSTER. The original medium is a Photograph.

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$40.00

“KANDY” by Lorraine Daley is a POSTER. The original medium is a Photograph.

It was created for “The Kandy Project” which happen in 2006 of a model living in Philadelphia who was a muse for 21 Different Photographers. This image is [1] of [56] images chosen for exhibition at three different galleries in Philadelphia: Lemuria Gallery (Manayunk), Sande Websters Gallery (Center City-Rittenhouse) and Sol Gallery (Old City). The model: “Kandy” was featured on the cover of the magazine section of the Philadelphia Inquirer and many other media outlets. To own this poster is to own a Treasure! ~ [Original prints are available. If Interested email: tkpcreativegroup@gmail.com]

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Pepper Jelly Lady Remixed, 2012 by Paula Wilson

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I saw my first Romare Bearden collage at Washington University in St. Louis’s Kemper Art Museum. There was BlackVenus (c. 1968) sprawled on a patchwork couch in a room full of color, music and booze. I was transfixed not only by Bearden’s masterful design, but also by the world he depicts. Looking at a Bearden makes me dream of being inside one: I want to dance to his music and walk down his streets, I want to be the ladies bathing by the fire or lounging in the garden. I find even his most downtrodden and base representations of life alluring. There is a palpable energy bursting from Bearden’s oeuvre that renders all life exciting and vital.

When The Studio Museum in Harlem asked me to participate in The Bearden Project, I saw the opportunity to enter his world. In fact, this wasn’t much of a stretch. His depictions of the African-American rural Southern experience in many ways match my life in Carrizozo, New Mexico (in particular ThePepperJellyLady (c. 1980). Bearden’s iconic vocabulary is tangible to me—chickens and a rooster, a wood-burning stove, two fan-tailed pigeons, jazz on demand and a train blasting through town. In 2012, I, a modern black woman, can choose a life profoundly removed from the servitude of the past, yet still be closely connected to its visual exuberance.

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John Bankston The Inventor, 2012

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Organized as a group of autonomous installations, Shift presents work in thematic groupings, series of works by individual artists and focused looks at single works of art. Drawn from the Studio Museum’s permanent collection as well as special loans, the exhibition provides contemporary reflections on ongoing artistic ideas, themes and visions related to our mission. Highlights include work by artists Nayland Blake, Jennie C. Jones, Lorraine O’Grady, John Outterbridge and Jacolby Satterwhite, as well as recent contributions to The Bearden Project.

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Heritage City, Africa

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Africa’s First And Only African History Theme Park

 

The  African Kingdoms and Empires Theme Park and Holiday Resort is designed to showcase Africa’s rich history, enhanced with modern technology to produce a total experience in learning, entertainment and relaxation for tourists and visitors.

The African Kingdoms and Empires Theme Park or “Heritage City” project represents the best initiative to date to present all of Africa’s diverse culture and history to tourists and visitors in one sport. By its existence, it is hoped that Heritage City will attract wide range of tourists from all over the world.

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An Eye For Art – Learning to View and Appreciate Art

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An Eye For Art


Learning to View and Appreciate Art

Here is a checklist with some key components for An Eye For Art.

 

 

Describe the Work of Art.

  • Try to determine what you see.
  • Is this a portrait, landscape, abstraction?
  • What is the subject matter?
  • Look at the artist’s work of art and determine approximately how many colors he or she applied in the art.
  • Try to ascertain what medium was used – brush, palette knife, pencil, collage, pastels, etc.
  • Is the art flat or do you see texture or relief in the art?
  • How would you describe the lines and shapes in the art?
  • Imagine trying to describe the art to someone who could not see it.

Analyze the Work of Art.

  • Does any particular part of the art interest you more so than other parts of the art?
  • Any dramatic areas that jump out at you?
  • Does this work of art remind you of anything in particular?
  • What would you say to the artist regarding the art if he or she were present?
  • Does the composition of the art seem balance?
  • What can be said about the objects, shapes or people in the art?
  • Is there movement in the art and if so how do you think the artist rendered that movement?
  • How is this art dissimilar from real life?
  • Interpret the Work of Art.
  • If you could name the art, what name or title would you give it?
  • What made you choose that title?
  • Describe the vibe or mood the art gives you.
  • Visualize yourself inside the art.
  • What do you feel? If possible, what sound would the art make?
  • What piece of this art do you believe for the most part fascinated the artist?
  • Why do you think the artist created this art?

Evaluate the Work of Art

  • What do you like or dislike about the work?
  • Did the artist accomplish what he or she set out to do in this work of art?
  • Did the artist do a good or bad job painting this piece of art?
  • Why do you think others should see this work of art?
  • Give the work of art a grade.
  • How did you determine that grade?
  • Would you purchase this art?
  • How much would you pay?
  • What is worth remembering about this art?

To really understand a work of art, one might want to observe it as not as a solo, stand alone creation. There ought to be perspective and context. Each work of art is produced
within a specific situation, atmosphere and environment, and if one does not fully comprehend those situations and that background, one might never be able to truly understand what the artist is bringing to that canvas. It is recommended that you learn something about an artist’s life and the culture in which he or she lives or lived to truly appreciate a work of art.

The more you look … the more you will see.

Sannu Niger!

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The capture last week of Saif al-Islam Qaddafi who, disguised as a Tuareg, was trying to flee to Niger — where one of his brothers and some high-ranking officials have found refuge — has turned a spotlight on a country few people have heard of.

“Niger? You mean Nigeria?” No Niger, the largest country in West Africa. “The country of the Nigerians?” No, the country of the Nigeriens.

I have visited Niger several times and always came back with wonderful memories… and exceptional crafts. It is one of the most fascinating places I know.

Sannu (hello) Niger!

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Children’s Book Highlights Black Achievements

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What do the inventor of the potato chip, open-heart surgery and the induction telegraph have in common?

They were all African-Americans. And all three (among many others) are featured in the newest book by basketball-great-turned-historian Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, “What Color Is My World?: The Lost History of African-Americans.”

Written for children of middle-school age, the book highlights little-known achievements by African-American innovators, while continuing Abdul-Jabbar’s interest in a version of U.S. history that is, as he has put it, not all “Thomas Edison and other white guys.”

Speaking of Edison: “What Color Is My World?” gives due treatment to Lewis Howard Latimer, who toiled under Alexander Graham Bell and worked on many of the innovations for incandescent lighting that Edison would later incorporate into one of the great inventions of modernity. But while Edison went on to immortality, Latimer was thanklessly relegated to oblivion.

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