Looking at Art and Racism: Changing people's belief of the world using Art, Series One.Day One

 I am going to break the rules of the challenge my sister in law sent me, and say a little about each

artist I picked for her challenge.

I just feel particularly as an art educator that it is important to know where a painting came from.

For although we can admire a painting by looking at it; giving it, context and history, is like," peeling

the layers from, an onion" It will give the art piece more depth.

Day1 Faith Ringgold's" Tar Beach"

Faith Ringgold is one of my favorite artists. She was born in Harlem in 1930. Her mother was a

fashion designer and part of the Harlem Renaissance group of African American Artist and Poets and

Musicians that included W.E.B. Du Bois, Romare Bearden, Augusta Savage, Bessie Smith, Duke

Ellington, among others, all who have made fantastic contributions to the arts, But all of who were held

down by racism and poverty. Her father held odd jobs because of racism and helped build the Brooklyn

Bridge. Faith Ringgold struggled at every stage. From: Poverty prejudice, racism, and sexual bias, But

she persevered at every point and succeeded, not just for herself but, as a role model and advocate for

others. She pursued an art career at a time when neither African Americans nor women were respected in

the arts. She said: " The gallery directors look at my legs, but they would not look at my paintings."She

picketed and fought to have her work to be accepted. She then wanted to write her autobiography as she

wanted her story to be heard, but again faced obstacles. Tar beach was her solution to this. It is a Quilt

painting known as a "story quilt", which is unique to Ringgold. It tells her story in words not just in the

painting but in writing between the quilt( which was made by her mother) and the painting. Beyond the

words and the painting, there is so much symbolism in this work. Cassie (who is her) flying above

racism and poverty to freedom( a symbol used by African American slaves), the significance of using

quilts to African Americans, and the struggle of the African American, She creates unity in this piece by

using similar, shapes, colors and designs in both the quilt and the painting

She should never have had to fight so hard to be recognized, but her activism and painting continue, at

89 years old she is rallying to the fight. Please see a recent New Times article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/11/arts/design/faith-ringgold-art.html:

To me, Faith Ringgold is so much more than an artist and advocate, she is an American hero!

You can hear her story in her own words on Youtube at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Comf9SetjRA

I hope this will make you think about how African American artists today still struggle because of

racism, and will make you want to learn more about this very inspiring artist?