In turbulent times, art won’t save us; but it can serve as a guide.
That is the message of the two art books that are bookends for my summer.
A Black History of Art by Alayo Akinkugbe is a recent publication in which the author “delves into the portrayal of Black figures in Western art, explores Blackness within museum spaces, and examines curatorial practices.”
In June, I was able to experience the power of Alayo Akinkugbe’s book by attending a 5-week, online course hosted by Black Blossoms, UK and given by the author who earned her degrees at both Cambridge and Courtauld Institute of Art.
The audience was as diverse as the art, with participants hailing from the African Continent, Europe, and the Americas.
Imagining Black Diasporas: 21st Century Art and Poetics by Dhyandra Lawson et al was published at the end of last year. This book captures the essence of the exhibit I saw in August at Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Likewise, it “illuminates aesthetic connections among established and emerging US–based artists in dialogue with artists working in Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Europe.”
Why my interest in these books?
Art continues to strengthen my interpretation of the Black diaspora and Pan Africanism. The Black diaspora crosses over international borders and various continents, and it communicates in various languages. Visual art is one of the most accessible avenues for interacting across differences because we might not be able to read the foreign language of the novel or understand the foreign language and accent in a song. Art is visual and immediate. It invites us to interact instantaneously with themes and motifs that crisscross the Black and Pan African experience.
I’m grateful for the connections art spurs me to make, whether in art galleries, via social media, or in excellent books such as these.
Audrey Shipp 