Dorothea Lange's The Pledge Of Allegiance

Most of the African American culture consists of descendants of African slaves who survived that were held in the United States from 1619 to 1865. African American culture includes immigrants from African, South American, and the Caribbean. During the period between the 1600s and the early 1800s, art consisted of drums, quilts, wrought-iron figures and vessels in the southern United States. There were slaves arriving from Africa as skilled craftsman, with the experience of working in similar media in Africa. There were a few known early portrait artist, from the period of 1773-1887. There were no schools for an African American artist to learn to paint, although in special cases, some white families would allow for provide tutoring. Following the Civil War, it was then acceptable for African American created art to be exhibited in museums which led to artists producing work just for that purpose. Other artist became notable for their creativity and art skill. As a result, the goal of widespread recognition across racial boundaries was first eased in Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, New York and New Orleans. Although there were still discriminatory limits, African Americans
were the majority accepted. The Harlem Renaissance was one the most remarkable change for African American Art. In the 1920s, certain freedoms and ideas were widely spread into artistic communities in the United States. Although this had become a great experience for African American artists, in 1929 the Great Depression ended funding for arts for some time. The U.S. Treasury Departments Public Works of Art Project did not attempt to provide support for artist in 1933. The Works Progress Administration created by Franklin D. Roosevelt provided for all American artists and proved especially helpful to African American artists. In the Philadelphia Museum of Art, are collections of modern and contemporary art. The American Art displayed consists of three centuries of portraits, landscapes, furniture, sculpture, silver, glass, crafts, and decorative arts with emphasized demonstration on Philadelphia’s rich traditions. The figure paintings in the museum today are figure paints by eighteenth and nineteenth century masters. A lot of the work displayed concentrates on such artists like Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Constantin Brancusi, Henri Matisse, and Joan Miro, as well as American Modernists like Georgia O’Keefe and Marsden Hartley. At the DuSable Museum in Chicago, IL, most of the work there is focused on contemporary African American Art. The DuSable Museum of African American History is the oldest museum of its type in the country of the United States. The establishment was based to preserve and communicate history in experiences of African Americans. The displays consist of remarkable painting, prints and books from artist of the 1900s. The museum focus is on expansion to exhibit for public veneration of the African American culture. From the 19th to the 21st century a lot of the art overall in the United States is focused on controversy. Controversial Art focus on topics related culture, politics, race, gender and religion. The communication in this type of art can be viewed in a negative or positive perspective depending on the individual. However, this type of art has been known to cause conflict by exploiting government practices in the United States. I have selected an art work piece by an artist by the name of Dorothea Lange called, “The Pledge of Allegiance.” I was inspired by the thought of her interpretation of bringing the young children together as one.
The children standing close together show a world of no discrimination towards one another, as there had been before. In the picture there are races of different nationalities including Asian, African American, Native American, Latin American, etc. The children have their hands across their chest showing a sign of dedication to what they know as America. This demonstration depicts a story of our American History as it should be today. Although there is still some prejudice in America, we have still overcome a lot of changes that will give hope to children to see a better
future. The other art piece that I have selected is based on a story of my culture as an African American. “The Bible Quilt” of 1898 was created by a slave folk artist by the name of Harriet Powers. Her art piece demonstrates a story of African American life and slavery. Each patch stitched on the quilt represents an event in time of things she may have encountered seeing in her life. For example, one patch shows a form of a man standing with a sharp instrument in his hand and holding it as if he was giving demands to his slaves. Behind the form of a man are three people with their hands out in the same direction as the man as if to also give demands. By observing the picture, the other people look to be the man’s wife and children, which were the slave owners. At the end of the quilt, there shows to be three men being hung, as there are angels shown at their feet. I thought this was a very powerful demonstration of a story that was very descriptive about this artist’s life and history sewn in a quilt. The artist also tells a story that symbolizes the beginning of an African American culture and how the culture became established here in the United States of America.