Romare Bearden American artist and political activist
Dec 26, 2015
Romare BeardenAmerican artist and political activist
Biography Born in 1911 in North Carolina
Attended Lincoln University, Boston College and NYU
Had a career as a social worker and worked on art at night and on weekends
Specialized in collage, painting, and political activism
Married Nanette Rohan in 1954 whom he (and his 3 beloved cats) lived with for the remainder of their lives
Died in 1988 in New York City
Inspirations Harlem Renaissance-
cultural movement in the 1920s called the “new negro movement” made up of black writers, intellectuals, visual artists and musicians
African American history
Jazz and Blues music (Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald)
Collage Materials Photographs
Magazine pieces
Colored paper
Foil
Art posters
Art in Activism Romare Bearden did not
agree with the how the media portrayed blacks, so he took matters into his own hands.
He created his own imagery painting a different picture, one that praised the black community and celebrated its culture, and shared it with the world through his art.
Cosmopolitan
Men’s Health
People
Our TaskWhat kind of imagery do we have in the media
today?
What messages are the images in magazines and newspapers sending?
Are these messages negative or positive?
Using Romare Bearden’s style of reusing images, create a collage that sends a message that your group wants to share with the world.