The Art Revolution

Through the Harlem Renaissance, the African-Americans, tried to build their identity in America. It was the desire of black artists to produce such work that lead people to identify the African ancestors. This was the time when some famous artists like Matisse, Picasso and Modigliani got influenced by the African art and music and appreciated it. Dances and music of black artists gained familiarity, during the Harlem Renaissance, which sustained for a long period of time. Blacks had some distinctive expressions which no American artist of that time had, especially after the war era. The struggle of musicians got success to the extent that almost in all the night clubs, themes like Blues, Ragtime and Jazz used to be played with famous singers such as Bessie Smith, Eubie Blake and Duke Ellington. One of the famous music of Blake, “Shuffle Along” got enormous fame. The increased fame of Black artists can be witnessed by the fact that some of the white celebrities started desiring to work with blacks. Some of the club owners did a mistake of favouring their own race and not realizing that the attraction of white was mainly due to the fame of black musicians and music (Patton & Honey, 2006). The efforts of blacks were not limited to the city of New York only, because it was an extended effort in the United States. The African-American artists travelled to other parts of the world as well, but most of the Harlem Renaissance history belongs to America.

That is, this story comes from much earlier. However, the collective emergence of black artists in American culture just happen in the 1920's, during the period known as the Harlem Renaissance, as in this New York neighbourhood where he was much of the explosion of creativity and political activity of African-American minority. Art went on to become an effective instrument to mitigate and cope with racial segregation. It is precisely the different artistic expressions which introduced a critical vocabulary and creative affirmation of black identity: an art and literature of extraordinary value could not be overlooked or considered inferior. From marginalization and shame, blacks began to gain spaces defining a mental attitude and intellectual status. Times were difficult to match socially truth with beauty, for blacks survived in the margins and with limited opportunities for economic and educational improvement.

In 1926, the June issue of The Nation featured The Negro-Art Hokum by George S. Schuyler as well as Hughes's response piece The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain. The magazine had angered Schuyler by appointing Hughes as a critic before the article had even appeared. Ultimately, the pairing of these two essays lends many to play favorites among the two rather than assess each piece as its own subject. As one would expect, Schuyler often receives negative opinions regarding his views (angelfire.com). Hughes encouraged the blacks to unite together, develop a sense of racial pride and stand up for their identity and prove themselves through their works.

Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was a true Renaissance man, being ...