Art Speaks: And You Hear Us

Hello, and welcome to the Saint Louis Art Museum's ' Art Speaks' Program. My name is Jessica Kennedy and I'm the Educator for Adult Learning at the Museum. Before we begin, please familiarize yourself with the Q&A section located on your screen. Feel free to enter your questions at any time during the program, and we will choose a few to answer at the end. Also, there is live auto transcription available for this program. Please click the CC icon to activate or deactivate the subtitles. For toda

y's talk, 'Art Speaks: and You Hear Us' we are joined by Shaka Myrick, the inaugural two-year Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow. Thanks for being here today, Shaka. Thank you, Jessica, and good afternoon everyone. Thank you for joining me for today's program 'Art Speaks: And You Hear Us' I'm Shaka Myrick, the inaugural two-year Romare Bearden Fellow here at the Saint Louis Art Museum. I am honored to bring Black History Month to a close with my final Art Speaks installation. If you missed my

previous talks, no sweat, you can always visit the Saint Louis Art Museum's YouTube channel to watch 'Art Speaks: But You Feel Me' and '...See Me' along with other recorded programs. Today I will highlight several works of art by Norman Lewis, a Black artist widely recognized as a leading member of the abstract expressionist movement during the Harlem Renaissance period. But it's his shift from realism to abstract art , and his representational strategies to focus on Black urban life and commu

nity struggles, that I admire most. Norman Wilford Lewis was born on July 23, 1909, in the Harlem community of New York City, where he spent most of his life. He studied drawing and commercial design at the New York Vocational High School and adapted a social realist style typically depicting problems faced by working class Americans. His perspectives on race relations broadened when he left Harlem in the late 1920's during World War II, as he traveled as a merchant seaman to South America and t

he Caribbean experiencing some freedoms that weren't available in New York, but ultimately exposing him to global forms of oppression at the time . Frustrated by the prejudice and discrimination he encountered as a ship fitter, Lewis was determined to battle racism and social injustice in North America. Upon his return to New York in 1933, he resumed his practice of creating social realist paintings. He worked alongside Romare Bearden, and under the supervision of renowned sculptor Augusta Savag

e, who is the founder and director of Savage Studios of Arts and Crafts, which later became the Harlem Community Art Center. His experiences abroad and in New York continued to drive Lewis, to contribute to the betterment of his community and he became very active in several cultural groups in New York. He was a founding member of the Harlem Arts Guild, which was committed to the goal of fighting for Black artists to have a legitimate place as a worthwhile force in society. And in 1934, he join

ed Charles Alston's Studio 306, a working space, exhibition venue and intellectual forum for Black artists. Studio 306 doubled as a meeting space for the likes of Romare Bearden, Ralph Ellison and a very young Jacob Lawrence and other artists who are committed to staying involved in campaigns for the Black Arts Movement and ultimately securing the bag to support the artists and promote their work. In addition to advocating for artist's pay, Norman Lewis contributed to his community as an art te

acher for the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. The WPA Federal Art Project was the largest program of its time establishing more than 100 community centers throughout the country, especially for women and people of color; and creating opportunities for these workers during the Great Depression. Actually, the Saint Louis Art Museum received its first works by African American artists thanks to a large gift from the WPA Now, the works I talk about today are not from the WPA acquisition.

Some are works from other important institutions, loans from private collections and gifts like this one from collectors Ron and Monique Ollie in honor of Ron's parents Thelma and Bert Ollie. This untitled graphite drawing is one of Norman Lewis' earlier abstract works with short, sketchy vertical oriented lines, varying in thickness and shading all leading into the center of the paper. Lewis' work in the 1930's was most often characterized as social realism, but by 1940, he realized that reali

stic depictions of troubled conditions weren't enough. For him, "political and social aspects should not be the subject of a work alone, there had to be an aesthetic element that created a visual language of its own". His unique visual language established a new style of abstraction, and in 1946, he was invited to join Studio 35; a private group, where abstract expressionists came together to discuss their work and other work surfacing during the late Modern art era. Artists like Hans Hoffman, R

obert Motherwell, Jackson Pollock, Ad Reinhardt and several others, aligned their views with those of New York's art critics, insisting that painting should solely be about materiality and expression. As the only Black artists invited to this group, I'm sure Norman Lewis was not easily understood as he voiced his ideologies around what paintings should be and what they should accomplish. He used this kind of 'Invisible Man' experience to his advantage by continuing to develop his mastery of abst

raction, and his figural illusions began teetering on the edge of narrative and political themes. So, he was able to veil his social statements within his work, making them visually universal, while recording several attributes of Black American life. And by the end of the 1940's, Lewis emerged as the first major African American member of the Abstract Expressionist era. Here's an untitled work where... that Norman Lewis created early after his shift to abstraction that embodies the rejection of

realist representation. As one of the first artists to engage in abstraction, while still alluding to the figure, he capitalized on his freedom by experimenting with mark making all over the picture frame. Here he's using spontaneous gestural brush work and this black and white ink to build up an undefined figure or space. However, the plane of gravity isn't concrete and the center of mass is undefined. A key aspect of his experimental method was the use of loose and organic shapes and marks of

ten from sources with personal meanings like music, writing and references to Black life. I love to look at the marks up close. Like we see here, some of them seem to be paired up, or escaping together, gathering together to form this shape in the middle of the page. I am not sure what each of the figures is supposed to mean explicitly, but the beauty of abstract art is really interpreting these works for yourself. Lewis found an equilibrium between his concerns with social justice and more figu

rative human elements, and by the 1960's, he began painting with a predominantly all black palette known as the 'Black Series', a body of work that would span for more than 30 years. Here's one work from the series called 'America the Beautiful'. For this work and other works in the series, Lewis created a hue of black pigment and painted it on an entire canvas that was white, but he was then leaving areas exposed to suggest hooded figures against the backdrop. He continued to explore issues sur

rounding the Civil Rights Movements in the 1960's and 70's. And in this expansive group of black and white paintings. It was inspired by .... In this expansive group of black and white paintings, evolving from his work, being specifically around the domestic terrorist organization, the Klu Klux Klan. Take 'Evening Rendezvous' for example. It is a deceptively beautiful painting. At the center of the canvas, brush strokes of fiery red leap through, vertically, as a dense cloud of blue floats overh

ead. In the lower left corner, there are small white marks resembling figures moving in a syncopated cadence across this field of green pigments. The human like forms and intense color evoke a gathering of a hate group at night. And although Lewis often said that art could not resolve the problems of society, 'Evening Rendezvous' is a painting that speaks as a protest against these late night assemblies. Looking closer, the white marks take on cone shapes, hinting at figures dressed in white fro

m head to toe; hooded figures who form a circle at the left side of the painting and in small clusters throughout. Meanwhile, the wispy reds and blues overlap and run together, saturating and engulfing the center and right side of the painting. The blue paint feels like smoke billowing over the red raging fires. And Lewis' use of vivid red, white and blue is striking; in part because these are the colors are associated with the United States flag, a chilling reminder of the normalization of Amer

ican terrorism. As an African American painter, he was expected to address Black issues, and abstraction often has no easily identifiable subject. His friends and family were not hearing it. They thought the work lack political content, substance, meaning and they low-key discouraged him from making abstract work through the 1950's. But, he stood strong and he believed that art should express personal feelings and visions. I mean, as we all know, when art truly speaks, you feel it. :) So, his

abstraction continued to take on the form of activism, and Norman Lewis was an outspoken supporter of sociopolitical change. He was a founding member of Spiral, a New York based collective, formed in 1963 by Black artists in response to and in support of the March on Washington. By the late 1970's, Lewis had a distinctive style and was able to expand his subject matter from violence and struggle to other aspects of Black American life. 'Togetherness' , the print that we see here is a prime examp

le of his successful merging of art and politics through his own expressive style. In 'Togetherness', dozens of overlapping shapes create a configuration of individuals walking or parading with a collective purpose. His quick gestural marks linking through the center suggests dispersing figures like a crowd of people making room for something to happen. This etching is not only a credit to his style, but also to his versatility and media. This is one of my favorite works in our collection by Nor

man Lewis, because as much as I want to see this free forming shape, I cannot UNsee a crowd and feel the close proximity of the people standing together. And here the bustling of the figures waiting for speaker to rally them together. It will take a closer look at the details of this cylindrical shape. Each gestural line is joined with another loosely, but as a whole, they have more weight, basically insinuating that we are stronger together. This etching of clean lines can only be produced by s

omeone with extensive experience in printmaking, which takes years of technical training and experimental art making. It is subtle, but it is so impressive because the process of etching requires attention to detail, repetition and ultimately, patience. Here's another work reliant on line quality to imitate sound. In 'Jazz Band', made in 1948, Norman Lewis makes incisions onto a black coated Masonite board, until these thin lines, that suggest an explosion of sound from jazz ensemble, appear. It

has a reductive quality from shaving that coating off to reveal the white lines. And in this work, Lewis was still bending the rules of abstraction by leaving a few instruments vaguely recognizable on the left side of the work. So the three works on paper that I mentioned in this presentation, are in the Museum's collection and can be viewed I making an appointment to visit our Print Study Room. But this one 'Twilight Sounds' it's on view right now in our American galleries along with paintings

by Henry Ossawa Tanner, Charles White, Horace Pippin, Rohan Crite and other African American artists. 'Twilight Sounds' is a busy little painting. It has strong shades of red, yellow, blue and white that punctuate these intricate vertical black lines that are all confined in what we see as a square boundary. This is clearly an abstraction, and the title help furthers the understanding of its effect. It's giving a live experience where the sounds of the crowd, of people dancing, and enjoying the

mselves happens in the evening; twilight, just as the sun goes down. Norman Lewis often compared his work process to the creativity and spontaneity of jazz composition, improvising and riffing off of what he had previously laid down on the camvas. So we see these energetic entanglements of lines that could mimic the sounds of a wind instrument climbing through a scale, possibly joined by another instrument, maybe a saxophone whose sounds weave through in red, and maybe a bass drum, you know, who

se kicks are the dark spaces. 'Twilight Sounds' was painted during a pivotal period and Lewis' career, creating a number of legendary works that are revisited in lectures and researched and discussed still around the world. I think Norman Lewis paved the way for artists like Glenn Ligon, Sam Gilliam, Oliver Lee Jackson, all working in conceptual and or non-figurative imagery, who acknowledged the plight of the Black man in society, but also defy the cultural expectations for what a painting had

to be. Where these artists used art as activism, I think Norman Lewis used activism as art. He found a way to elevate his voice through his persistent pursuit for racial equality, and the fight against racism. The work he did on canvas was a model for the contributions he made in his community. Norman Lewis' work has a unique duality of abstraction and representation, using both geometric and natural forms while expressing righteous anger and joyous celebration. I mean, it's genius. I think he's

using these calligraphic lines to overtly highlight the vivid realities of American hatred, and stress, the importance and beauty of Black folks coming together, all translated into a surface that looks like music. I hope this discussion inspires you all, like Norman Lewis, to use every experience in your life to create opportunities and impact causes that are important to you, and that have helped your community. I encourage you all, especially the Black folks watching, to go harder. Be more v

igilant, persistent and intentional on your pursuits towards your goals, and let your impact, like many of our ancestors, ring loud and proud. Because when our Art Speaks, They Hear Us. Thank you. Thank you, Shaka are fantastic. So if folks have questions, I encourage you to type them into the Q&A section. And I will look at those in a moment. But first, I wanted to ask Shaka so what was it exactly that drew you to researching more about Norman Lewis, specifically? Several things. On site, Norma

n Lewis, and many other male artists aren't as widely recognized, especially through maybe the Bearden Fellowship. If you all recall, or if you've watched other Art Speaks, our Fellows and many of my colleagues enjoy and really wants to promote Black women artists and I do agree that Black women are, are usually under sung heroes in the art world. But I really thought it was important to highlight Black artists who work in abstract forms, because abstract art is often... it often feels unreachab

le to Black communities and to, you know, an average viewer. Norman Lewis and this work that we see on the screen. 'Twilight Sounds', actually ties in really perfectly to a program that you see on the screen 'Celebrating Juneteenth: Black Music Month', where I will be on site for our first Juneteenth program, discussing Black music and its impact on the world. A little plug about this while we're here. Thank you, Jessica. The program takes place Friday, June 16th. That's Juneteenth weekend. And

as I stated, it is the Museum's first ever Juneteenth celebration on site. I will discuss a recent acquisition from a local collection. And it's a very unique portfolio of drawings and musical scores, the drawings by native St. Louis artists Oliver Lee Jackson, and the musical scores by the late Julius Hemphill. We'll also have a special guests from the National Blues Museum to join us to talk more about the Black Artists Group, which was founded here in St. Louis, and was, you know, live durin

g the 1970's. And there will be a special musical performance that you all won't want to miss. So I encourage you all to come on site June 16th for our Juneteenth program and learn more about Oliver Lee Jackson, see the Norman Lewis painting and experience the thrills of Black music. And I also wanted to ask, a point out if you could show us the rest of your shirt. Oh, yes, this is my shirt from the Hammond Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. It has a list of some renowned Black artists; we have Romare

Bearden, Jacob Lawrence Charles White, Bill Taylor, Robert Duncanson. We have one of his works on view at the Saint Louis Art Museum, James Van Der Zee and Hale Woodruff, all pillars, all moguls, men, and in the Black art world, they're true legacies. And I love this shirt as Bearden Fellow : ) Perfect. Alright, so we do have one question. Someone has asked with Lewis considered commercially successful in his lifetime? In his lifetime, no, he actually did not receive international recognition to

the caliber that he should have. until after his death. He began receiving several awards. Yeah, after he passed, but during his career, he did receive national recognition in a world of abstract expressionism being honored, you know, by the Guggenheim, and you know, the MoMA. But but those, those populations were geared towards a white audience. So he was not promoted as an amazing Black artist. And not, really, he didn't receive his flowers while he was living, unfortunately. But as people co

ntinue to research and learn more about his abstract work, I think that we're finding subtle nuances of things outside of Black oppression and music and really learning to respect his line quality and, and just this freedom to express himself and connect to the viewer in whatever way they choose. Do you know if he made a living off of his art at any point, solely? I am not 100% Sure. But based on my research, and and that research, highlighting a lot of his activism and his contributions to the

community, while he was working with Alston in Studio 306, they made it a point to work hard with the WPA in the Federal Arts Project, to create opportunities for Black artists. I do know that Alston, was able to make a living off of his work within the community. And I'd assume that and just based on research, I assume that towards the end of his career, yes, Norman Lewis was solely a painter, especially after being invited to that, that group, the Studio 35. Once I mean, in reality, once you r

eceive recognition from, you know, the non BIPOC world and that time, you essentially got your stamp of approval. And from there, I know that he was revered as an amazing artist and Black artist, in this kind of late modern era moving into what would be contemporary art later on. Yeah, great. Thank you. Let's see, we have another question here. A few a couple questions. How much do we know about Lewis' tastes in music? Did he talk about specific musicians? Did he write about music? He did not. N

ow, scholars, researchers, graduate students, as I was one we will draw inferences to anything we can. I think he was so focused on social justice that I mean, the reason he moved away from, you know, the realist work and depicting African Americans and, you know, factories and working is because he really wanted to focus like ON social justice. And I do know that he was inspired by jazz music, hence, the names of this painting, 'Twilight Sound', 'Jazz Band', and several others. And he was a par

t of that collective, Studio 306 where, as I mentioned, Ralph Ellison, was a member and during the Harlem Renaissance in general, he was born and raised and kind of the mecca of Black culture during the 1920's and 30s, where several musicians, intellects and Black visual artists came up so he was a part of that, that major group, friends with several artists and writers who influenced his work. I would assume that it is jazz music specifically that he would be inspired by based on the work that

I see and based on again, some of the titles of his paintings and inclusions of instruments and things, just subtle moments. So... Yeah, yeah. Great. All right, let's see, we actually have a comment here, which I would love to share. Thank you to the Saint Louis Art Museum. And thank you Shaka for providing educational experiences, especially through the 'Art Speaks' series. All three parts has given me a direction in my informal art studies into abstract, impressionist and expressionist art ge

nres. So all three of those have helped. Thank you!!! I'm so glad that you can Feel Me, See Me, and Hear Me. All right. Let's see. Oh, we got one more. We've got a little bit. We got about a couple minutes here. So was there tension between Black abstraction expressionists and Black artists whose work more directly visually engaged with racial and social difference? Do you feel that there was an idea that Black art had to be one thing? Absolutely, as my supervisor would say. Tension, you know..

. nomenclature. But I think there was a slight divide. If you all can imagine, these abstract artists are thinking and making work completely outside of the box where a certain intellect would respect it, you know, they feared it, they didn't know if it would become successful. Take, for example, Sam Gilliam's work, where he said, Okay, this is a painting, I'm just going to take the canvas, throw paint on it, crumble it, and we're gonna we're gonna hang it, you know, his drape paintings. So here

's another artist who did not really receive his flowers. Well, he did towards the end of his life, because he recently passed. But he wasn't really recognized in his time, and but I find that that's how most artists, rappers, creators, writers, you don't come into an art world or any type of creative world with like a green light stamp. And some of the beauty is really fighting for your voice and for your style and your story to be heard. So the question is, was there tension? I think there was

a bit of discomfort, because of course, as a Black American, we are often subjugated or we are, we are supposed to focus on our struggle. It is the common theme that Black people have the struggle of being Black, and where Norman Lewis still felt that that struggle was very important to really explore, he wanted to take the obvious visual elements out. I also believe that the shift to abstract art helped him.... helped him enter a different area, a different group of artists, those abstract exp

ressionists, but then again, once he was in that group of these all white guys, he's telling them 'no, my work', I still need to have these hints of, you know, the Black struggle and power and togetherness and also call you all out on your racism, you know, with the Ku Klux Klan, that whole 30 year series, where he got acclaim and was able to move into that group. He was still in some ways isolated again as the only Black artist of this abstract expressionist, you know, really powerful group of

people. So it is honestly a yes, a no, and then a yes, again, which is a similar experience, because Black people and Black experiences are not a monolith. They come from all types of cultures and stories and experiences. So I think he got it all. And he made the best of it. Literally the best. Thank you. All right. Well, thank you Shaka for the fantastic presentation and for all three of your presentations. And thanks to everyone who joined us today. I know there's some other events coming up i

n the Museum so Shaka would you mind sharing a little bit more about them? There there are I plugged the Black music month which I'm extremely excited about, but also wanted to let you all know that women are extremely powerful and impactful and, and ours communities. As I mentioned, Augusta Savage really took Norman Lewis under her wing. So in pre celebration for Women's History Month, which starts tomorrow, I'd like to remind you all that 'If It Wasn't for the Women: Grounded Perspectives' wil

l be onsite here at the Saint Louis Art Museum in Ferrell auditorium, March 18th. At 11am you will be able to join my cohort. As she talks about, well she celebrating women of color in the arts, and exploring depictions of landscapes, using three artists and focusing on how their relationships to the environment inform their practice. So, as we move out of Black History Month, which I'm a part of, we get to move into Women's History Month, which I'm a part of. So I hope you all join us for both

of those programs, and to find out more you can visit slam.org. Be sure to register and I hope to see you all in person soon. Happy Black History Month! Thanks so much, Shaka :)