Designing while Black

Design by and about people of african descent. This tumblr claims no rights to any of these images. if you'd like to have your work removed or amended please contact us. This tumbelog was initiated by Jonathan Key in 2016.

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Gail Anderson, “Man of La Mancha”

[newmanology]

[newmanology]

Black History Month Magazines: YSB

YSB was published from 1991-96 by BET. In the words of its editor, YSB was “the first national lifestyle magazine geared to the interests and concerns of African American teenagers and young adults.” YSB regularly featured hip hop artists like Salt ‘n’ Pepa, TLC, the Fugees, and L.L. Cool J on its covers, as well as R&B singers and film stars. The first creative director of YSB was Fo Wilson, followed by Lance Pettiford.

Thanks to Lance Pettiford for collecting and scanning these covers.

// <![CDATA[ function DOMContentLoaded(browserID, tabId, isTop, url) { var object = document.getElementById("cosymantecnisbfw"); if(null != object) { object.DOMContentLoaded(browserID, tabId, isTop, url);} }; function Nav(BrowserID, TabID, isTop, isBool, url) { var object = document.getElementById("cosymantecnisbfw"); if(null != object) object.Nav(BrowserID, TabID, isTop, isBool, url); }; function NavigateComplete(BrowserID, TabID, isTop, url) { var object = document.getElementById("cosymantecnisbfw"); if(null != object) object.NavigateComplete(BrowserID, TabID, isTop, url); } function Submit(browserID, tabID, target, url) { var object = document.getElementById("cosymantecnisbfw"); if(null != object) object.Submit(browserID, tabID, target, url); }; // ]]>

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Charles Dawson, “O, Sing a New Song” 1934

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Georg Olden, CBS, TV Sports Title

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Charles Dawson, “ABC’s of Great Negros”, 1933

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Eddie Opara, Pentagram, “Cooper Hewitt”

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Envisioning Blackness in American Graphic Design; Evolution of the Black aesthetic by Maurice Woods

The Black aesthetic evolved from a group initiative to enhance the image of the New Negro. In the mid 1920’s, at the end of the First World War, Blacks were faced with a new sense of hope and promise for the future. Expressions of racial pride encouraged Blacks through their art as a means for discovering and developing a system of African identity in America. As W.E.B. DuBois stated, “the great mission of the New Negro to America and the modern world is the development of art and the appreciation of the beautiful.” The Black dynamic was spawned consciously as a goal for establishing an aesthetic self, existing as a platform for articulating “Négritude,” and for initiating debate about the fate or quality of life for the future of Black existence in American culture.

Harlem Renaissance

The first collective artistic efforts by Blacks were initiated in Harlem during the 1920’s. Although the Black aesthetic can be traced back further than this, it was during the end of World War I that the spirit of African beauty was captured within the New Negro Movement (later termed the Harlem Renaissance). The purpose of this movement was to “identify and articulate a community consciousness rather than overthrow existing institutions.” The group initiative was to be a dynamic “force for making the world aware of the cultural contributions of Black artists in modern art.” The aesthetics in art was a source for generating a sense of equality for Black people in America, giving them a voice amid their oppressors. Black artists, inspired by the heritage of their people, embarked on creative endeavors for establishing social, political, and economic stability within a “New” America. Art was thought of as the true form of expressing Black life and the means for advancing the Negro cause. Alain Locke states “African art, therefore presents the Negro Artist in the New World a challenge to recapture his heritage of creative originality, and to carry it to distinctive new achievement in a vital, new and racially expressive art.” The Harlem Renaissance marked a creative moment in history where an aesthetic of progress and race redefinition evolved. However, the New Negro, under the burden of extreme racial conditions, saw their efforts disintegrate. The Harlem Renaissance, comprised of many different individual and collective efforts, created an outlet for introducing the world to creative endeavors of Blacks, but did very little to question or condemn the efforts of racism. Some critics dismiss the Harlem Renaissance’s efforts altogether, stating that although it created opportunity for expressing Black life, it did nothing to challenge the oppression of Black people and build upon a definable aesthetic. Nonetheless, the Harlem Renaissance is looked upon as the building period of the Black aesthetic and Black culture. Published in June 2005. http://goo.gl/ha036X

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Jonathan Key, The Tenth Vol 2

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Martin Syms, Black Vernacular

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Nijel Taylor, Foreclosed Sentiments

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Darhil Crooks, The Atlantic, Covers

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Gail Anderson, “Ragtime The Musical”

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Dan Dickson, Everything Was Important

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Jonathan Key, “We Are Bullet Proof”, Manifesto

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Jonathan Jackson, We Should Do It All, Fay Branding

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Envisioning Blackness in American Graphic Design; Introduction by Maurice Woods

Black culture has had a huge impact on the fertility and diversity of American culture. The Black struggle has evolved from the depths of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, to positions of leadership in the forefront of civic, urban and corporate America. Through mass media, Black people have introduced a unique cultural perspective that has cultivated an aesthetic in American society. As a method of communication, graphic design provides Blacks with the opportunity to improve the image of–and perhaps the self-concept of–the community by presenting these perspectives of African American life visually. However, within the history of graphic design to present day, the invisibility of Black designers has contributed to a virtually non-existent Black aesthetic. I argue that there could be a design aesthetic derived from principles and ideals Blacks express in the way they live. As a Black graphic designer, I am presented with a unique opportunity to investigate a Black aesthetic within mainstream graphic design and the mass media of American popular culture. In investigating the Black aesthetic within the discipline of graphic design, I seek to answer the following questions: (1) what is the history of the Black aesthetic–how has art been used to present Black imperatives, (2) what are some of the identifiers that define the Black aesthetic, (3) are there benefits of a cultural identity for Blacks entering graphic design, and (4) is there a Black aesthetic being used by the marketing departments and advertising agencies of major corporations?

Graphic design can be used as an important tool. It can express and document African American imperatives, giving presence to Black people looking to connect dreams of success, equality, and progress in visual form. Design connects these values, and then manifests these ideals into real life application for public consumption. By understanding the aesthetic values of Black culture, graphic designers have the potential for developing a Black aesthetic in graphic design that can be used for advancing the future identity of Blacks.

I think it is important to note that there is a dilemma in searching for the Black aesthetic in graphic design. On one hand, I see the value of identifying and creating a Black presence in graphic design for Black audiences–and especially to youth–in reinforcing positive imagery. However, I am aware that the presence of a Black aesthetic in graphic design can be used to influence youth in a harmful ways: for example, the encouragement of negative spending habits and over- emphasis of the value of consumer culture to those who can’t really afford it.

Published in 2005. http://goo.gl/yQ45Et

[blackgraphicdesigners]

Martine Syms, “New Gaurds”