It is the first exhibition to examine the influence of photography on one of the most important cultural movements of Black people in the USA: Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985 opens on February 24 at the Getty Center in Los Angeles.
The poet Larry Neal (1937–1981) coined the term Black Arts Movement, which he described as a »cultural revolution in art and ideas.« The movement was led primarily by poets, authors, and playwrights, but numerous musicians, filmmakers, photographers, and painters also took up its ideas. The Black Arts Movement emerged from the civil rights movement of the 1950s and turned the US art scene upside down: new collectives and workshops were formed, Black artists experienced new opportunities for exchange, and innovative works of art promoted the dignity, freedom, and self-determination of Black people. Photography—both street and studio photography—was a central element of the movement from the outset, both as a means of communication and as an art medium. For the first time, a museum exhibition is dedicated to the contribution of photography: Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985 will be on display at the Getty Center in Los Angeles from February 24 to June 14.
The exhibits were selected to represent a broad historical spectrum. Among others, the works of Billy (Fundi) Abernathy, Harry Adams, Ralph Arnold, Kwame Brathwaite, Adger Cowans, Doris A. Derby, David Clyde Driskell, Ray Francis, Charles Gaines, Barkley L. Hendricks, James E. Hinton, Barbara McCullough, John W. Mosley, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, Senga Nengudi, Horace Ové, Gordon Parks, Betye Saar, Coreen Simpson, Lorna Simpson, Moneta Sleet Jr., Ming Smith, Carrie Mae Weems, and Ernest C. Withers.
The exhibition was previously on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and will be on view at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson starting July 25.
Art for the harmonious coexistence of the global population: At the Haus der Kunst in Munich, Argentine artist Tomás Saraceno presents visions for new forms of living together. The exhibition Tomás Saraceno. Ancestral Futures opens on July 17.
A unique body of work: Tate Modern is presenting the Cuban artist Ana Mendieta with over 150 works, including films, installations, and rarely seen paintings. The exhibition of the same name opens on July 15 in London.
