Product Description

From its origins in early 18th century slave communities to the end of the 20th century, African-American art has made a vital contribution to the art of the United States. This book provides a major reassessment of the subject, setting the art in the context of the African-American experience. 70 color illustrations. 5 linecuts.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #89616 in Books
• Published on: 1998-06-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Patton has written an excellent and comprehensive introduction to the historical development of African American visual art. She provides much new information on the art making of both slaves and freemen in the 18th and 19th century while later providing a broad art-historical context for black modernists. Pointing out that crafts did not necessarily precede fine art making during slavery, she examines African retentions (and Indian influences) in 18th-century black ceramics and architecture; black women and quilting; abolitionism and the rise of black landscape painters like Robert Duncanson; and sculptor Edmonia Lewis's black expatriate neoclassicism. Turning to generally better- documented 20th-century black artists, Patton arguably provides the first clear discussion of the relationship (both social and aesthetic) of black modernists to the prevailing mainstream artists and art movements of their time. As is perhaps inevitable, Patton's discussion of the contemporary art scene, while quite competent, is defined as much by the artists she fails to mention as by those she chooses to include. Well researched, scrupulously documented and organized, this lucidly written, fully illustrated book also includes numerous useful sidebars defining art movements, issues or individuals.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
`Sharon Patton has written a much needed text which surveys the broad scope of the history of African-American art from slavery to the present. She has followed a different tack, tracing art themes and their development throughout the history, rather than the influences of specific artists or periods. Thus, she shows how ideas such as crafts, formal painting and sculpture, or architecture, co-existed with equal importance to the culture from the times of the Colonies. In so doing, she breaks down the barrier between folk and formal art, and articulates an interrelationship of both concepts to African-American people and their culture. Her book expands the framework for the visual arts in the United States in the last two centuries.' Professor Keith Morrison, Dean, College of Creative Arts, San Francisco State University

About the Author

Sharon Patton is Director of the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies, and Associate Professor in History at the University of Michigan.

Customer Reviews

Great resource and easy to read
Sharon Patton does a wonderful job placing African-American art and artist within the contex of the time in which it was made. She shows how people of color were part of all the art movements and what the contributions were. The reproductions are high quality and the images cover many different mediums. It is easy to read and flows more like a story of art instead of a dry lecture.

fabulous, and I got to meet her!
This is a good introductory resource to African-American art. Patton fits a lot of history in a small book.
Generally the Oxford series are pretty fantastic to begin with, so you can't go wrong.

Plus, I got to meet her. She is very nice and knowledgeable. I got a chance to hear her speak at a conference.

Not a fan of the arts
I really want to appreciate the arts, but this book doesn't help. Too much race-baiting, not enough pictures, and overall very boring. Only reason I got it was cuz it was for school.