Even a generation ago, the art world was pretty monolithic. Take it back another generation before that, and it was all dead white men. It is amazing how far things have come since then. African American Art now has its rightful place alongside the artworks of other peoples in this country. Any museum will have African American framed art nowadays, and many of the people making it achieve great fame and success in their work.
Of course, contemporary African American art cannot all be put into one category. There is a big debate raging about this. Many fans of African American Art feel that all of it possesses certain essential characteristics. African American black art reflects the experiences of the people, you see, and those experiences are universal within that people – or so this argument goes.
As a fan of African American Art, however, I cannot agree. There are many African American artists that I like, but just as many that I don't. Anyone who labeled all white American artists as coming from the same camp would be immediately laughed at. It is strange to me that the same doesn't go for Afro American Art. Even African American art galleries vary widely from each other. Among African Americans, as among any other community, each artist must be treated as an individual. Otherwise, you are not appreciating the art, but only using it as a way to examine a culture. This is an insult to the artist and to the culture.
That doesn't mean that you can't use African American Art posters as a way to reflect your heritage. I know I do. I found a place that sells discount African art, and I covered my dorm room in their pictures. They are beautiful. They have warm earth tones, vivid and unique portraits, and a spirituality that I find rare in modern art.
I won't say that I only like African American Art, but it really does have a special place in my heart. Being in my 20's, identity is very important to me. It helps me feel like I belong to something to have art from my community up on my walls. That does not mean that I only put African American Art up in my home. There are many pieces of art that inspire me, and they come from many cultures all over the world. It just means that African American art touches something that is important to me now.
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