romare bearden:
Romare Bearden (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was an American artist and writer who depicted African-American life. He worked with many types of media including cartoons, oils and collages. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden moved to New York City at a very young age and went on to graduate from NYU in 1935. He began his artistic career creating scenes of the American South. Later, he endeavored to express the humanity he felt was lacking in the world after his experience in the US Army duringWorld War II on the European front. He later returned to Paris in 1950 and studied Art History and Philosophy at the Sorbonne in 1950.
Bearden's early work focused on unity and cooperation within the African-American community. After a period during the 1950s when he painted more abstractly, this theme reemerged in his collage works of the 1960s, when Bearden became a founding member of the Harlem-based art group known as The Spiral, formed to discuss the responsibility of the African-American artist in the struggle for civil rights.
Bearden was the author or coauthor of several books, and was a songwriter who co-wrote the jazz classic "Sea Breeze", which was recorded by Billy Eckstine and Dizzy Gillespie. His lifelong support of young, emerging artists led him and his wife to create the Bearden Foundation to support young or emerging artists and scholars. In 1987, Bearden was awarded the National Medal of Arts. His work in collage led the New York Times to describe Bearden as “the nation's foremost collagist”[1] in his 1988 obituary.
Bearden's early work focused on unity and cooperation within the African-American community. After a period during the 1950s when he painted more abstractly, this theme reemerged in his collage works of the 1960s, when Bearden became a founding member of the Harlem-based art group known as The Spiral, formed to discuss the responsibility of the African-American artist in the struggle for civil rights.
Bearden was the author or coauthor of several books, and was a songwriter who co-wrote the jazz classic "Sea Breeze", which was recorded by Billy Eckstine and Dizzy Gillespie. His lifelong support of young, emerging artists led him and his wife to create the Bearden Foundation to support young or emerging artists and scholars. In 1987, Bearden was awarded the National Medal of Arts. His work in collage led the New York Times to describe Bearden as “the nation's foremost collagist”[1] in his 1988 obituary.
the project:
Romare Bearden's collage work was often based on memories of his childhood in the south. Specific places, people and emotion are the subjects of some of his work. Our assignment is to pick a memory of our own and create a collage using multi-media to illustrate that memory.
Think about a place that was or is still special to you. For example, it could be a room in your home, school, a park, a vacation spot, or a place in your community. Spend five minutes writing down notes about this place. Who would be there? What was it like to be there? What would you smell, see, and hear there? What details can you remember about the place and the people there?
Use collage materials to create a composition to illustrate your memory place. Use paper, magazines, text, books, fabrics, to create the composition and form and use sharpies and other drawing materials to create the details.
Think about a place that was or is still special to you. For example, it could be a room in your home, school, a park, a vacation spot, or a place in your community. Spend five minutes writing down notes about this place. Who would be there? What was it like to be there? What would you smell, see, and hear there? What details can you remember about the place and the people there?
Use collage materials to create a composition to illustrate your memory place. Use paper, magazines, text, books, fabrics, to create the composition and form and use sharpies and other drawing materials to create the details.