Information AboutAaron Douglas |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT AARON DOUGLAS | |
| african-american artists | |
| american painters | |
| african americans | |
| people from kansas | |
| university of nebraska-lincoln alumni | |
| 1900 births | |
| 1979 deaths | |
| fisk university alumni | |
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Aaron Douglas ( May 26 , 1900 – February 3 , 1979 ) was a U.S. painter and a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance . Douglas was known for his abstract, 2-dimensional black and white paintings. Douglas broke down figures of traditional African styles into geometric objects. He painted human figures as symbols of all African Americans. He wanted people to understand their spiritual identity. Douglas was often called the “Father of African-American art.” A native of Topeka, Kansas , Douglas received his B.A. degree from the University Of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1922. In 1928-29, he studied in Paris on a grant from the Barnes Foundation . In 1937, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee , where he founded the Art Department at Fisk University and taught for 29 years. Douglas’ use of African design brought him to the attention of W. E. B. DuBois and Alain Locke . They were pressing for young African-American artists to express their African heritage and African-American folk culture in their art. Aaron Douglas’ art illustrated the ‘New Negro’ philosophy. He painted murals for all sorts of public buildings and produced illustration and cover designs for many black publications such as “The Crisis" and "Opportunity.” His most famous illustrations were for James Weldon Johnson ’s book of poetic sermons, “God’s Trombones.” His artistic views have a lasting impression and influence on artistic themes of African American heritage and racial pride. QUOTE "...Our problem is to conceive, develop, establish an art era. Not white art painting black...let's bare our arms and plunge them deep through laughter, through pain, through sorrow, through hope, through disappointment, into the very depths of the souls of our people and drag forth material crude, rough, neglected. Then let's sing it, dance it, write it, paint it. Let's do the impossible. Let's create something transcendentally material, mystically objective. Earthy. Spiritually earthy. Dynamic." REFERENCES
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