Contemporary Black Art: The New Renaissance?
Black Art has truly taken off in a way that has never been seen before.
There has always been art created by Black People, however, the ability of Black artists to work together collectively, and create art in a collaborative and constructive way has not been seen in a way such as this, since The Harlem Renaissance.
With the rise of Instagram, Tumblr, and even Twitter, Black artists, educated, self-taught and everything in between, are able to post and share their art across the world. For many Blacks, who are from underserved communities with little economic resources, this is an ability that is unprecedented.
This allows those likeminded individuals to come together, create together, and sharpen each other’s intellectual blades. It can be said that social media has become the next Great Equalizer.
In addition, unlike in the Harlem Renaissance, this Renaissance is not limited by geography. The world could be witnessing one of the largest shifts of mentality in history. Social media has allowed us to connect with each other all across the globe, and exchange ideas at light speed. We are on the precipice of changing the world.
The best indicator of a society is its art.
If you follow the Black Lives Matter Movement, or our developing interest in Black life, art is a natural progression. At one point or another, you have found yourself thinking, “I wish I could see more Black art”.
Or worse, it hadn’t even occurred to you.
It is natural to want to see the faces of those who you resemble most, in the things which you value the most. Art has an important role in society, and it serves as a way to express emotions shared by its members.
If the art does not depict people who have similar lives, how can one be comforted by its expression? How can they relate to it?
To find more Black Art, all one has to do is look at the tags: #BlackArt, #BlackArtists, #AfricanAmericanArt, #AfroArt, #Blackout
These tags are full of people who simply want to share their works with the world. This is an excellent way to delve into art in a very non-committal fashion.
The best and easiest way to continually keep up with Black Art, is by following one of the many Black Arts blogs that are out there.
If you feel as if you know you want to see more Black Art, and are ready to take that dive, you should check out these blogs:
5/5
Website
Description: “Curator of art by and/or about the Whole Black Person. The 5/5 movement is the revolutionary idea that Black people are whole individuals.” This blog’s focus is to display the humanity of Black Americans, through their art. The primary focus of this blog is the uplifting of the Black condition through art.
You Should Follow This Blog If You Are: Interested in modern Black Art as a subject.
Black Women Art
Website
Description: “Black Women Art is a repository for art of Black Women found around the web!” This blog focuses singularly on art by and about Black Women. It also was established in 2012, so the collection is enormous!
You Should Follow This Blog If You Are: Enjoy art that is by and/or about Black Women
Black Art Space
Website
Description: “A sanctuary for Black visual artists! Feel free to submit your work [drawing, painting, graphic design, sculpting, jewelry, photography/videography, tattoos, etc]” This blog’s focus is more singularly focused on Black visual artists, in specific. It posts the works of a variety of Black painters, photographers, and other forms of visual art. This blog operates on Instagram and tumblr, so it can seamlessly integrate within your daily scrolling habits.
You Should Follow This Blog If You Are: Looking for more Black Art in your every day, pre-established, social media routine.
Afro-Arts
Website
@afroarts
Description: “Afro-Arts is a modern directory providing a platform for Black owned businesses to advertise, network, and leverage new business.” This blog focuses its efforts on the unification of the Black Dollar by giving a state-by-state directory to find art, food, hair stylists, and everything which a person may need! This blog is somethings that only gets better the more people participate, so the more attention it gets, the more business which can be listed!
