African American Art and Artists

By Samella Lewis and Samella S. Lewis

Book Overview

Drawing from historical and private collections around the country, Samella Lewis has gathered an impressive representation of the work of African American artists, from the 18th century to the present. For this edition she has provided a new chapter on art of the last decade. Handsomely and generously illustrated, this book reveals a rich legacy of work by African American painters, sculptors, and graphic artists.

"Art historical scholarship is greatly advanced by Samella Lewis's African American Art and Artists in that it foregrounds the work of artists who have been influencing the texture of art in the United States during the last two decades of the 20th century. Throughout African American Art and Artists, Lewis interrogates the issue of identity by presenting the biographical sketch, which locates the individual artistic personality within a specific cultural background with its own peculiar dynamics, giving a face to two cities of Black American art. Without polemics Lewis presents women artists--Edmonia Lewis to Allison Saar--as principal players in constructing an African American visual arts legacy. Here Lewis sufficiently defines the visual arts in order that they may assume their rightful place alongside African American music, literature and folklore as cultural expressions that have helped to give American culture its distinct character."--from the foreword by Floyd Coleman, Harvard University.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520085329
• ISBN13: 9780520085329
• Release Date: June 1994
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 2.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.6" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Good, cheap textbook

Is an older edition but is basically the same as the newest edition being used in my African American Art History class. Condition was as described by seller.

African American Art and Artists, Revised and Expanded Edition

Excellent book! It has pictures and a bio on todays black artists. My favorite would have to be Ben Jones, my old college professor! lol www.Gallery07002.com

A Commendable Documentation of African-American Art

Samella Lewis has updated and further developed her definitive guide on African-American Art. As a former student instructed on the subject with her first edition of this book as our class text, I can definitively say that this book provides a solid understanding of the different art movements and a variety of examples of the works. Also from the perspective of a young museum professional who has worked with African-American art collections, I highly recommend this volume as a foundation of basic knowledge on the subject.