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35 American Art Comes of Age

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A Little History of Art
This chapter is in the book A Little History of Art
265It is 1947 and sculptor and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett is looking at her new series, ‘The Black Woman’, at the People’s Graphic Arts Workshop in Mexico City. Catlett travelled to the internationally renowned centre last year to work on the series. She is not Mexican but African-American. She started making politically charged work a few years ago after visiting Chicago and experiencing how the artists there were creating work committed to social change. They wanted to show the hardships still faced by African-Americans. She married one of these artists, Charles White, and for six years they worked side by side. She reasoned: ‘Art should come from the people and be for the people . . . It must answer a question, or wake somebody up, or give a shove in the right direc-tion – our liberation.’Catlett’s fifteen prints are linocuts (like the illustrations for this book). She made them by cutting into linoleum, a flooring material that offers artists a cheap and quick alternative to carving into wood. She used simple compositions to maximise the impact of C H A P T E R 3 5American Art Comes of Age
© Yale University Press, New Haven

265It is 1947 and sculptor and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett is looking at her new series, ‘The Black Woman’, at the People’s Graphic Arts Workshop in Mexico City. Catlett travelled to the internationally renowned centre last year to work on the series. She is not Mexican but African-American. She started making politically charged work a few years ago after visiting Chicago and experiencing how the artists there were creating work committed to social change. They wanted to show the hardships still faced by African-Americans. She married one of these artists, Charles White, and for six years they worked side by side. She reasoned: ‘Art should come from the people and be for the people . . . It must answer a question, or wake somebody up, or give a shove in the right direc-tion – our liberation.’Catlett’s fifteen prints are linocuts (like the illustrations for this book). She made them by cutting into linoleum, a flooring material that offers artists a cheap and quick alternative to carving into wood. She used simple compositions to maximise the impact of C H A P T E R 3 5American Art Comes of Age
© Yale University Press, New Haven

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. 1 First Marks 1
  4. 2 The Story Unfolds 9
  5. 3 The Illusion of Life 17
  6. 4 Copycats 25
  7. 5 Paths to the Afterlife 33
  8. 6 Art Embraces Religion 41
  9. 7 Storm Clouds Gather 48
  10. 8 The Art of Propaganda 56
  11. 9 Masons, Moai and Materials 63
  12. 10 The Renaissance Begins 70
  13. 11 Northern Lights 77
  14. 12 A Matter of Perspective 85
  15. 13 East Meets West 92
  16. 14 The Return of Rome 100
  17. 15 Fire and Brimstone 108
  18. 16 Here Come the Barbarians 115
  19. 17 The Reign in Spain 123
  20. 18 The Theatre of Life 131
  21. 19 New Ways of Seeing 139
  22. 20 The Lie of the Land 146
  23. 21 Still Life and Life Stilled 153
  24. 22 Rococo Escapism and London Life 161
  25. 23 The Royal Academy: Home and Away 169
  26. 24 Liberty, Equality, Fraternity? 177
  27. 25 Romanticism to Orientalism 185
  28. 26 Reality Bites 193
  29. 27 The Impressionists 201
  30. 28 Artists Take a Stand 209
  31. 29 The Post-Impressionists 217
  32. 30 Standing on the Shoulders of Giants 225
  33. 31 Ripping up the Rule Book 233
  34. 32 Art Becomes Political 241
  35. 33 Land of the Free? 249
  36. 34 The Aftermath of War 257
  37. 35 American Art Comes of Age 265
  38. 36 Sculpture Breaks the Mould 273
  39. 37 We Don’t Need Another Hero 281
  40. 38 A Postmodern World 289
  41. 39 Go Large or Go Home 297
  42. 40 Art as Resistance 305
  43. Illustration Credits 312
  44. Index 318
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https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300265538-035

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. 1 First Marks 1
  4. 2 The Story Unfolds 9
  5. 3 The Illusion of Life 17
  6. 4 Copycats 25
  7. 5 Paths to the Afterlife 33
  8. 6 Art Embraces Religion 41
  9. 7 Storm Clouds Gather 48
  10. 8 The Art of Propaganda 56
  11. 9 Masons, Moai and Materials 63
  12. 10 The Renaissance Begins 70
  13. 11 Northern Lights 77
  14. 12 A Matter of Perspective 85
  15. 13 East Meets West 92
  16. 14 The Return of Rome 100
  17. 15 Fire and Brimstone 108
  18. 16 Here Come the Barbarians 115
  19. 17 The Reign in Spain 123
  20. 18 The Theatre of Life 131
  21. 19 New Ways of Seeing 139
  22. 20 The Lie of the Land 146
  23. 21 Still Life and Life Stilled 153
  24. 22 Rococo Escapism and London Life 161
  25. 23 The Royal Academy: Home and Away 169
  26. 24 Liberty, Equality, Fraternity? 177
  27. 25 Romanticism to Orientalism 185
  28. 26 Reality Bites 193
  29. 27 The Impressionists 201
  30. 28 Artists Take a Stand 209
  31. 29 The Post-Impressionists 217
  32. 30 Standing on the Shoulders of Giants 225
  33. 31 Ripping up the Rule Book 233
  34. 32 Art Becomes Political 241
  35. 33 Land of the Free? 249
  36. 34 The Aftermath of War 257
  37. 35 American Art Comes of Age 265
  38. 36 Sculpture Breaks the Mould 273
  39. 37 We Don’t Need Another Hero 281
  40. 38 A Postmodern World 289
  41. 39 Go Large or Go Home 297
  42. 40 Art as Resistance 305
  43. Illustration Credits 312
  44. Index 318
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