The Whole Art Nebula: Recent Episodes
The Whole Art Nebula
We're recognizing the value of Black artists, the legacies they've left us and their contributions to the whole of art history. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-whole-art-nebula/support
WARNING: Language in this episode may not be suitable for sensitive listeners.
In this episode, I read from William Wells Brown's book from 1865 titled, The Black Man: His Antecedents, His Genius and His Achievements, focusing on the first part of the author's memoirs as he recounts his early life as a slave.
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Stay tuned for more incredible stories and enriching episodes. For the next couple of weeks I’ll be giving you more content to shed light on this fundraising campaign. Again, thank you and be on the lookout for more!
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John Nelson Arnold believed that Edward Bannister’s artistic legacy would endure. He observed that Bannister approached nature with a poet’s sensibility, capturing skies, rocks, trees, and distances on canvas with both vigor and poetic beauty.
Arnold predicted that over time, Bannister would be recognized as one of the leading American painters. In a time when American painting lagged behind European art, Arnold couldn’t foresee the eventual rise of the uniquely American Hudson River School, which celebrated the nation’s untamed wilderness and vast landscapes. Despite witnessing the Civil War and the end of slavery and seeing his Black friend gain national recognition, Arnold couldn’t predict that persistent racial prejudice would lead to Bannister’s omission from 19th-century American landscape painting histories.
The Whole Art Nebula
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Source:
· Bearden, Romare and Henderson, Harry (1993). “A History of African-American Artists: From 1792 to the Present,” Pantheon
· Town of St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, Heritage Arts & Culture: https://www.townofsaintandrews.ca/community/heritage-arts-culture/
· Lowell Institute: https://lowellinstitute.org/about/
· “A Look Back at John Brown,” Finkleman, Paul, Prologue Magazine, Spring 2011, Vol. 43, No. 1, National Archives, https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2011/spring/brown.html
· “Biography: John Brown,” American Battlefield Trust, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/john-brown
· “WILLIAM WELLS BROWN (CA. 1814-1884),” Engledew, Devin, Mar. 08, 2007, Blackpast, https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/brown-william-wells-1814-1884/
· Studio Building (Boston, Massachusetts): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_Building_(Boston,_Massachusetts)
· The Barbizon School: https://www.theartstory.org/movement/barbizon-school/
· Goddard Memorial State Park: https://riparks.ri.gov/History-HistoryGoddard
· George William Whitaker: https://riheritagehalloffame.com/George-Whitaker/
· CPI Inflation Calculator: https://www.in2013dollars.com/
· Eimerich Rein: https://www.askart.com/artist/eimerich_johan_rein/117717/eimerich_johan_rein.aspx?alert=info
· George Inness: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/inne/hd_inne.htm
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Despite the brevity of his career, Matt Baker left an indelible mark on the comic book industry. He challenged norms, shattered stereotypes, and paved the way for future generations of diverse artists.
His artwork continues to inspire and influence contemporary creators, and he is recognized as a pioneer. Baker's contributions to the medium, particularly in depicting strong and empowered women, remain significant and have had a lasting impact on the world of comic art.
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Source:
Garcia, Mike (July 27, 222). “A Brief History of Female Superhero Comic Book Covers,” The Nerd Hoard
Phantom Lady: https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Phantom_Lady#:~:text=4%20See%20Also-,Origin,darkness%20and%20make%20herself%20invisible.
African American History 1940s Timeline: https://www.thoughtco.com/african-american-history-timeline-1940-1949-45441
Tilley, Carol (2012). "Seducing the Innocent: Fredric Wertham and the Falsifications that Helped Condemn Comics". Information & Culture.
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My guest, Kevi Yada, joins me this time, to talk about one work by Minnie Evans. If you haven't listened to our episode on Minnie Evans, I highly recommend it.
Podcast website: TheWholeArtNebula.com
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Minnie Evans is considered an outside or outsider artist. An outsider artist is an artist that has had no formal training. They are self-taught. The term outsider is in reference to being outside of traditional academic instruction. Minnie Evans, herself, was very far from traditional.
She didn't start drawing until she was 43 when a voice told her she must “draw or die.” On Good Friday, 1935, Minnie unknowingly embarked on her new passion, and created her first drawings - two small pictogram-like works. Both are now in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American art.
Source Material:
Anthony Petullo Art Collection: https://www.petulloartcollection.org/minnie-evans/
“Aspects of Minnie Evans” by Nathan Kernan: On Paper, Vol. 1, No. 6 (July -August 1997), pp. 12-16 (5 pages), Published by: Art in Print Review
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Trust me, I'm working to get the next episode out. In the meantime I couldn't wait to put out this quick announcement. I just wanted to tell everyone that we now have a MERCH STORE! Woohoo! Check it out now and represent the podcast that represents you and your interests.
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Until the next episode...
Henry Jones III, is back to help me talk about a specific work by Elizabeth Catlett. The sculpture it titled, "Homage to Black Women Poets." To view the work, please go to the website, TheWholeArtNebula.com. If you haven't listened to the episode on Elizabeth Catlett, please go back and listen to that episode when you get a chance.
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Elizabeth Catlett lived a life creating work that addressed gender, racial and class inequities. In 1971 she wrote, “Art for me now must develop from a necessity within my people. It must answer a question, or wake somebody up, or give a shove in the right direction—our liberation.”
Source Material:
· Elizabeth Catlett @ MIA: https://collections.artsmia.org/art/7890/sharecropper-elizabeth-catlett
· A History of African-American Artists: From 1792 to the Present, Romare Bearden & Harry Henderson, 1993, Pantheon, pp. 418-426
· Elizabeth Catlett @ Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture: https://www.lewismuseum.org/elizabethcatlett/
· Elizabeth Catlett @ MoMA: https://www.moma.org/artists/1037
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Today we're joined by Henry Jones III and we're taking a deeper look and sharing our perspectives on a painting by John T. Biggers titled, "Shotguns."
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A Fat Slice of Cake: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCubSSuvmvefVB4FPBJi7uIQ/videos
Two Three: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14965900/?ref_=nm_knf_i1
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The motifs that John Thomas Biggers loved to explore centered around harvesting, planting, baptism and other rituals of rural Black communities. Also, he loved telling the story of the root system, the connectors of Black American life to the Motherland – whose children are the Earth’s caretakers.
His murals evoke beauty and allowed us to see ourselves and our ancestors in them. They allow us to be proud of our American lives without limiting the expectation of our capacity.
TheWholeArtNebula.com
Source Material:
· Encyclopedia.com – John T. Biggers: https://www.encyclopedia.com/african-american-focus/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/biggers-john-t
· A History of African-American Artists: From 1792 to the Present, Romare Bearden & Harry Henderson, 1993, Pantheon, pp. 447-453
· UNESCO: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:United_Nations_Educational,_Scientific_and_Cultural_Organization_(UNESCO)
· About Susan McAshan: https://cswgs.rice.edu/sites/g/files/bxs3966/files/2020-11/McAshan%20Bio.pdf
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Sculptor and ceramicist, Carroll Harris Simms, was born on April 29, 1924 in Bald Knob, Arkansas. A city that was named after a treeless rocky ridge that served as a landmark to pioneers.
Simms identified three major turning points in his development as a sculptor, “First the realization of certain permanent values which relate to the integrity of my grandparents inclusive of church folk and neighbors surrounding the environment of my early childhood, second, studies at the Toledo Museum of Art; Hampton Institute; Cranbrook Art Academy and in Africa and Europe - third, working at TSU and at the same time being allowed the privilege of creating art for the community.”
Source Material:
https://www.cranbrook.edu/
· A History of African-American Artists: From 1792 to the Present, Romare Bearden & Harry Henderson, 1993, Pantheon, pp. 447-453
· https://cnx.org/contents/eFQIsJEO@2.1:BqDUSGYi@1/Carroll-Harris-Simms-b-1924
· The University Museum at Texas Southern - https://www.umusetsu.org/carolsimmssculpture
· Tributes.com http://www.tributes.com/show/Carroll-Harris-Simms-87792109
· Carroll Harris Simms, TSU professor and sculptor, dies at 85, Houston Chronicle https://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/Carroll-Harris-Simms-TSU-professor-and-sculptor-1710079.php
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The art of Kobina Wright: https://kobina-wright.pixpa.com/
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Alma Thomas was a curious and ever-expanding woman who painted in her kitchen. She was both a cheerleader and mentor for many young artists and instrumental in getting them recognition. She encouraged them to “get in the mainstream.” Slowed slightly by arthritis and a failing heart, she focused on what she could do with one solitary intense color and rolled around and blew through new ideas.
She learned from everything she did.
“I’m still developing,” she used to say.
To visit our website go to: https://thewholeartnebula.com/2022/09/09/alma-thomas-part-ii/
To support and learn more about Kobina Wright, go to: https://kobina-wright.pixpa.com/
Source Material:
· “Art expert reflects on his work in DC at the nation’s first private gallery owned by African-Americans” by Katherine Saltzman https://thedcline.org/2019/02/26/art-expert-reflects-on-his-work-in-dc-at-the-nations-first-private-gallery-owned-by-african-americans/
· A History of African-American Artists: From 1792 to the Present, Romare Bearden & Harry Henderson, 1993, Pantheon, pp. 447-453
· About Lois Marilou Jones: https://americanart.si.edu/artist/lo%C3%AFs-mailou-jones-5658
· NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo11.html
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Alma Woodsy Thomas was born on September 22, 1891, in Columbus, Georgia. This was 26 years after the Civil War. She would go on to help children explore the world of art and imagination and continue to educate herself in multiple disciplines. It wasn't until after she retired that she began to consider herself an artist, although, in my opinion, she has been one all along.
This is the first part of the life and work of Alma Thomas, from her birth to the education that would set her on the path to becoming the legend she is today and some of the events that sculpted this path.
Our website: TheWholeArtNebula.com
Sources:
- New Georgia Encyclopedia https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/atlanta-race-riot-of-1906/
- Biggest US Cities https://www.biggestuscities.com/city/atlanta-georgia
- Fair Housing Act of 1968 https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/aboutfheo/history
- Black Women in Delaware’s History https://www1.udel.edu/BlackHistory/blackwomen.html
- Bearden, Romare and Henderson, Harry, A History of African-American Artists: From 1792 to the Present, 1993, Pantheon, pp 447-453
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Duncanson accomplished a great deal having succeeded living as an artist as a Black man in a time of slavery. We have to look at his life as a whole to really be able to understand what a powerhouse he was and how phenomenal his achievements were not just as a pre-war Black Cincinnatian, but in the whole art nebula.
Among the many sources used was the book, A History of African-American Artists From 1792 to the Present by Romare Bearden and Harry Henderson.
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The second part of a three part series on the artist Robert S. Duncanson.
Half of this episode covers the Cincinnati riots of 1841, but because this is the year that Duncanson arrived in Cincinnati, it's good to have context of the social climate that he was stepping into at the start of his artistic career.
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Sources:
· Bearden, Romare and Henderson, Harry, A History of African-American Artists: From 1792 to the Present, Pantheon, 1993
· Crowfoot, Silas, “Community Development for a White City; Race Making, Improvementism and the Cincinnati Race Riots and Anti-Abolition Riots of 1829, 1836 and 1841.” PDX Scholar (2010)
· https://www.theclio.com/entry/13933
· https://walnuthillsstories.org/stories/riots-of-1841/
· https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45364/the-lotos-eaters
· https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1827&context=etd
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I decided to really dig in and give you as much as I could, without going down a rabbit hole. So, unlike the other artists on this podcast, I’ve broken Robert S. Duncanson’s story into three parts. In this one, of course, I'll cover his earliest years – Please note, though, that I won’t go too early because there’s not a lot of information on his childhood.
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Sources:
· A History of African – American Artists: From 1792 – to the Present, by Romare Bearden and Harry Henderson, pp. 19-39
· Hamilton County Officials, January 27, 2016 PDF document
· Mount Healthy Historical Society: http://www.mthealthyhistory.org/history.html
· “For the Liberation of Black People Everywhere: The African Blood Brotherhood, Black Radicalism and Pan African Liberation in the New Negro Movement, 1917 - 1936
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Usually, we only talk about visual artists on this podcast however, I wanted to cover Hughes because of his prominence in the Harlem Renaissance and his inspiration to writers, poets, actors and artists in our community. And today is his birthday! February 01, 1902.
Here's the link to our film's crowdfunding campaign for "Two Three" by clicking here.
Sources:
Langston Hughes (1940). The Big Sea. p. 36. ISBN 0-8262-1410-X.
https://www.biography.com/writer/langston-hughes
Rampersad, Arnold (2002). The Life of Langston Hughes: Volume II: 1941-1967, I Dream a World. Oxford University Press. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-19-988227-4.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060604509.html?nav=rss_email/components
https://www2.oberlin.edu/external/EOG/OYTT-images/JMLangston.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Coussey
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"I try to work toward peace, to say that art is the meaning of love, that living on earth is a spiritual quest." -Louis Delsarte (Painter, draftsman, muralist, printmaker and poet)
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This is Part II of the two part series on David C. Driskell. I’ve listed my sources for the last two episodes below.
Also, when you get a chance, watch the HBO documentary titled, “Black Art: In the Absence of Light.” It’s based upon one of Driskell’s major exhibitions he organized and curated.
Sources:
- Genzlinger, Neil (April 7, 2020). “David Driskell, 88, Pivotal Champion of African-American Art, Dies“. New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2020. Print version, April 9, 2020, p. B12.
- “David Driskell – Artists – DC Moore Gallery”. www.dcmooregallery.com. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
- McGee, Julie L. ( 2006). David C. Driskell: Artist and Scholar. San Francisco: Pomegranate Communications. ISBN 0764937472.
- Barnes, Bart (April 3, 2020). “David Driskell, advocate for African American art, dies at 88 of coronavirus”. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- Crawford, Amy. “A New Retrospective of David Driskell, Artist and Scholar of African American Art, Comes to Atlanta”. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
- “Two Centuries of Black American Art”. LACMA. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
- “David Driskell: Icons of Nature and History”. High Museum of Art. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
- “Coming Soon: ‘Icons of Nature and History,’ a Major Survey of David Driskell Opens at High Museum in Atlanta in February 2021”. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
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We're breaking from our usual format this time. This is the first part of a two part series on the life and work of David C. Driskell. Driskell has done so much that there was no way I could feel comfortable cramming it into a single episode.
Excerpt:
His student, Mary O’Neal, who later became a distinguished fine artist, but was only then a student and the girlfriend of Stokely Carmichael, told Driskell that he was teaching the course in cultural disguise – meaning it was not just art history but a very passionate kind of civil rights art course. She called it an action course. It focused on topics of where one had to prove that he or she had something to give in society and in art.
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This episode is a little different. I consider it a "pre-episode" episode. It's more like an introduction into the work of David Driskell, the artist I'll be covering next on The Whole Art Nebula. In this, I discuss his work titled, "Jazz Singer (Lady of Leisure, Fox)" with my good friend ElleBeah.
This is just a portion of a longer conversation. I've given access of the entire conversation to Patreon members at the Oasis level as in incentive to support our brand new art history podcast. To visit our Patreon page, go to, https://www.patreon.com/thewholeartnebula. Otherwise, please enjoy.
Warning: This episode may cause laughter.
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Clark, in his lifetime, has received many awards, his work has been exhibited all over the world and is part of collections in several art institutions and museums. He guarded his private thoughts on worldviews and his background from unwelcomed intruders, allowing his work and innovation to speak for itself.
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Sculptor and arts activist, Frank J. Brown, had a big presence in the St. Paul art scene, lending his voice and talent to the discussion of the plight and future of humanity and African American people.
Brown’s sculptures can be found in the permanent collections of many institutions, including the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Southern Illinois University and the University of Utah Museum of Fine Arts in Salt Lake City.
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Emma Amos was a woman who found her voice in the art world - constantly pushing and batting at the resistance of male dominance and racial exclusion - then, blurring the lines of fine art and traditional craft.
Oh yeah, and W.E.B. DuBois used to pop up at her parents' house from time to time.
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I'm speaking to my mother (who is very much alive and well - by the way). It's from an essay previously published in the Wilderness House Literary review, discussing one small aspect of my start as an artist... How a girl learns to paint when she can only afford to buy two colors.
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