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Monday, July 27, 1998

Harlem Sights

ART: 'Rhapsodies in Black' highlights the renaissance of African American art, music and dance in the 1920s

By Laura Noguera

Daily Bruin Staff

At one time, they were slaves - part of a repressed and smothered culture. After finally gaining their freedom, they began the long civil rights battle, using any weapon - even art - to express their frustration and determination. African American artists soon established their community's culture in a creative explosion, known today as the Harlem Renaissance.

African Americans and activists worldwide joined together in this artistic expression using various mediums. "Rhapsodies in Black," an exhibit which captures the African American lifestyle and perspective during the Roaring '20s, begins its three-month showing on July 26 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

"(Rhapsodies in Black) makes a deliberate point of including representation of black achievement in film, dance and literature, as well as the classical arts," said Howard Fox, the exhibit's co-curator.

The canvas, whether plaster or piano, became these artists' voices during the revolutionary years. An outpouring of creativity depicting African Americans in positive images, both sexually and economically, is now classic art, but at the time, it provided inspiration for communities and motivated people to take action in the civil rights movement.

The Harlem Renaissance art show features paintings by activist Archibald Motley Jr., known for his urban images of socially respectable African Americans. Some of Motley's work concerns the issue of bigotry, but he devotes most of his talents to highlighting the positive aspects of the Harlem community.

One "Rhapsodies in Black" painting, "Brown Girl After Bath," depicts a young woman sitting on a regal red blanket as her reflection is captured in the mirror of a luxurious vanity.

Richmond Barthe's sculptures also established this heightened confidence among African Americans.

"His style didn't change much," Fort said. "But he was the first to install that black is beautiful."

New York City's African American community and other cultures respected these artists.

"They were received quite enthusiastically," says Ilene Fort, exhibit co-curator. "There were exhibitions in New York City, Chicago and Oakland."

LACMA is aware of the interest the Los Angeles community has in the Harlem Renaissance art, especially by established artists Jacob Lawrence and Aaron Douglas, leaders in the artistic movement.

"When we had a Jacob Lawrence show here (at LACMA), Howard Fox didn't realize (Lawrence) was such a cult figure until he went with him to Central Avenue," Fort said. "There was a huge, long line for his signature."

Douglas and Lawrence's Los Angeles reputations prompted organizers to devote entire rooms to Douglas' modernist paintings and Lawrence's "Toussaint L'Overture" series, which tells of black Haitian history.

Included with the paintings, drawings and sculptures are the sights and sounds of 1920s Harlem. Various archival multimedia stations fill the gallery with the ragtime, blues and jazz sounds which appeal to all audiences.

In one large listening room, four stations hold a nine-hour collection of influential musicians, vocalists and songwriters. The original recordings, some which are not available to the public, feature the vocals of Victoria Spivey as well as the infamous tunes of Duke Ellington and Fess Williams, who some consider the fathers of big band jazz.

Rare film clips revive many Harlem legends in small television corners or a specialty mini theater. In one video, Actress Josephine Baker shines on the screen in footage from "Zou Zou," followed by actor Paul Robeson's performance in J. Elder Wills' "Song of Freedom."

Perhaps the exhibit's most compelling aspect is the international representation among the artists. Although the images focus on Harlem culture, Central Americans and Europeans contributed to the movement.

"(The Harlem Renaissance) was really a phenomena of international achievements," Fox said.

The exhibit features two pieces by Mexican artist and anthropologist Miguel Covarrubias, known for his socially reflective caricatures. In these drawings, Covarrubias significantly unites two cultures in portrayals of African American dancers wearing classical, flamenco-inspired garments.

Langston Hughes' poetry also scatters the walls throughout the exhibit. Poems reveal the times through the African American perspective, playfully using the Harlem lingo.

Along with many of the artists in exhibition, Hughes' work ties together all the accomplishments of the Harlem Renaissance while establishing the community's mission. Paintings and archives function as a history lesson and ongoing reminder of African Americans' struggle and survival.

"During the Depression no one bought anything," Fort said. "But the art, literature and music always stayed visible."

ART: "Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance" runs July 26 through Oct. 19 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. For more information, call (213) 857-6522.

Photos courtesy of Los Angeles County Museum of Art

The "Rhapsodies in Black" exhibition features works like "Blues," by Harlem Renaissance artist Archibald Motley Jr.

"Girl in a Red Dress," a 1934 oil painting by Charles Altson.