Black people have been a fundamental part of British History. However, as campaigners have been highlighting, the contributions, impact and shaping of our current world in terms of politics, culture and social and economic successes have been overlooked and undervalued.
Black History Month is a reminder to us that History is written by people and therefore it is inherently biased. The people who have had their voices heard in the past are mainly the privileged, the wealthy and the white. If you would like to learn more generally, the Black History Month organisation have lots of information to start with: https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/
Art History is dominated by the white patron and religion, as in the past, Art is something that the wealthy used to demonstrate their power. So the paintings we see from History are a record of what the wealthy and religious leaders wanted to pay for. However, Art and artists have always been an important part of subcultures, rebellions and protests. Art is not just a way of presenting the status quo, but a way of challenging it. We are going to start by sharing some resources, but keep an eye on our feed, we will be sharing student work and a focus on Artists who have confronted the existing state of affairs by telling their stories.
Resources and Links
Black History Month | 10 Artists you should know:
https://blog.artsper.com/en/a-closer-look/black-history-month-10-artists-you-should-know/ 
5 Powerful Stories on Black Art History - this article has some fantastic interviews with Artists to watch:
Photography | Working in partnership with Black Cultural Archives, the V&A identified and acquired photographs taken by black photographer, or which document the lives of black people in Britain, taken between the 1950's-90's:
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/staying-power-photographs-of-black-british-experience
No comments:
Post a Comment