The Black Arts Movement and the Black Panther Party in American Visual Culture

Description

This book examines a range of visual expressions of Black Power across American art and popular culture from 1965 through 1972. It begins with case studies of artist groups, including Spiral, OBAC and AfriCOBRA, who began questioning Western aesthetic traditions and created work that honored leaders, affirmed African American culture, and embraced an African lineage. Also showcased is an Oakland Museum exhibition of 1968 called "New Perspectives in Black Art," as a way to consider if Black Panther Party activities in the neighborhood might have impacted local artists’ work. The concluding chapters concentrate on the relationship between selected Black Panther Party members and visual culture, focusing on how they were covered by the mainstream press, and how they self-represented to promote Party doctrine and agendas. Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 2 Series Page......Page 3 Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Dedication......Page 8 Contents......Page 10 List of Figures......Page 11 Preface: Picturing Black Power......Page 15 PART I “Black Arts We Make”: Aesthetics, Collaboration, and Social Identity in the Visual Art of Black Power......Page 22 Introduction to Part I......Page 24 1 Pedigree of the Black Arts Movement: The March on Washington, Death of Malcolm X, and Free Jazz......Page 31 2 Organization of Black American Culture: A Show of Respect......Page 47 3 African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists: Forging a Black Aesthetic......Page 57 4 “New Perspectives in Black Art”: An Oakland Class of ’68 Says “Black Lives Matter”......Page 74 PART II The Black Panther Party in Photography and Print Ephemera......Page 104 Introduction to Part II......Page 106 5 Huey P. Newton Enthroned: Iconic Image of Black Power......Page 110 6 Eldridge Cleaver’s Visual Acumen and the Coalition of Black Power with White Resistance......Page 149 7 Emory Douglas: Revolutionary Artist and Visual Theorist......Page 172 8 Picturing the Female Revolutionary......Page 200 Bibliography......Page 230 Index......Page 242