Black History Month: vanessa german
Thanks for joining me for another look at Black artists who inspire me. Let’s talk about:
vanessa german creates a poem with installation artist Romson Bustillo. Photo credit: Lisa Myers Bulmash
Famous contemporary artists rarely bother to visit Seattle in person, but vanessa german is the exception I admire. She’s a multi-disciplinary artist (sculpture, performance, communal rituals, immersive installation, and photography) based in Pittsburgh.
Sculpture created for “vanessa german: W E” at Wa Na Wari gallery. Photo credit: Lisa Myers Bulmash
During the summer of 2021, vanessa created a brand-new work at Wa Na Wari, and then created poetry on the fly with those who came to hear her speak. These are the top things I love about her:
her combination of power and vulnerability, both in poetry and in sculpture
her assemblage sculptures are monumental, tender and childlike all at once
her “more is more” aesthetic in her color choices and the architecture of her pieces
According to Kasmin Gallery, which represents some of her work, this summer german will “unveil a new commission for the exhibition Pulling Together at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which will explore the role of monuments in the telling of American history.” Looking forward to seeing what german creates for the other Washington.
We’ve talked about five artists so far, and there are 15 more to come. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read the previous blog posts I’m writing for Black History Month.
Black History Month: Betye Saar
Welcome back! If this is your first time on my blog, I’ve started a project for Black History Month, sharing some of the visual and literary artists who inspire me. Let’s talk about:
Artist Betye Saar in her studio. Photo credit: David Sprague for Roberts Projects
Well. I’ll just say I am so glad to be on this planet during her lifetime. This assemblage artist is best known for “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,” in which she transformed a racist “mammy” cookie jar into a rebel armed with a broom, a grenade, and a rifle. Among the many reasons I love her and her work:
She was born, raised, and educated in the Los Angeles area, where I grew up
She kept producing new pieces while raising her three daughters (a writer and two visual artists)
Her work has always been upfront about anti-Black racism, even at a time when vanishingly few art galleries would even look at art created by Black people.
Would you believe art is her second career? She started out as a social worker. She turns 97 years old this year, and she’s still making new work. Just phenomenal.
Stick around for the first full week of Black History Month. There are lots more artists to come!
Black History Month: Toni Morrison
For Black History Month, I thought I'd share some of the visual and literary artists who inspire me. Let’s talk about:
Author Toni Morrison speaking at West Point Military Academy. Pboto credit: West Point/ Wikimedia Commons
I used to say I “loved” Toni Morrison and her work, but it might be more accurate to say I was/am in awe. Her use of language is merciless, both in its poetic phrasing and its honesty about her characters’ inner lives. Here’s a sample, from “The Toni Morrison Project”:
Maybe you didn’t know she won both the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer. Maybe you didn’t know her full name (Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison, born Chloe Ardelia Wofford). But if you don’t know her actual work, you can fix that now. You have eleven novels and a slew of other writings to choose from. My favorite is Beloved.
See you on Monday, on our first full week of Black History Month. Five new artists to admire…