Jacob Lawrence was born in 1917, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. His family moved to Philadelphia when he was seven. In 1929, they moved again, just in time for the Great Depression in New York. Lawrence also had to deal with racial prejudice because he was black. Federal Arts Project, a government established program created jobs for artists so they could support themselves and their families.
The focus of Jacob Lawrence’s paintings were important events in the history of African Americans. Also one of his focuses was the human figure. Body language expresses his feelings in the most direct way possible. He uses body language to communicate universal feelings shared by everyone.
They suggest emotions almost everybody can recognize. Jacob Lawrence is best known for depicting life in America, particularly the lives, struggles, and aspirations of African Americans. Lawrence studied in New York City at the Art Workshop, Harlem, the Harlem Art Center, and the American Artists School from 1937-1939. He is famous for the distinctive flat surfaces of his narrative paintings depicting social problems, as may be seen in “The Migration of the Negro,” and “Struggle: From the History of the American People.” Lawrence’s other major works are “Life in Harlem,”A Family,” and “Sedation.” Jacob Lawrence’s life was interrupted, as with many other Americans by World War II.
He painted a series of works about his experiences when he served in the U. S. Coast Guard. These paintings were displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in 1944. A different series of paintings was called The Builders. Builders represent the satisfaction gained by working with other people for a common goal.
The Essay on Latin American Art
Art is a form of expression. Paintings are a form of visual art. Artists are the creators of visual forms of communication and their art works speak out what is in their hearts and minds. Art in any form, music, sculpture or dance is nonetheless a language of the soul of the artist. Art of a period is a depiction and impact of the social, political, religious, cultural, traditional, geographical ...
It centered around the tools that people have developed over the centuries. In 1957, he painted Cabinet Maker. Lawrence feels that the forms of tools are both beautiful and exciting. Lawrence was always fascinated by the story and struggles of Harriet Tubman. In his Harriet Tubman Series, they portrayed many messages. Things like escape was the only possible solution for runaway slaves.
He focused attention on the horrors of slavery. Some historical events he showed were the appearance of Jackie Robinson, Vaudeville at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem and the Munich Olympic Games. I personally like Jacob Lawrence’s work. Especially the way he uses sharp, flat, jagged angles, stylized shapes, slashing diagonals, tilted picture plane and distorted mask-like faces.
Lawrence’s “Race Riots” is a perfect example of this. Although much of his life has been dedicated to painting the Black Experience, he considered himself first and foremost a humanist. His paintings illustrate the strong and pulsating beat that has always been humanity and the beauty of every man.
