Soul of a Nation: de Young Museum

On Saturday, February 29, I visited the Soul of a Nation exhibition at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.  The exhibition displayed works by Black artists over the course of two significant decades (1963-83) when issues of race and identity dominated private and public debates. It was divided into nine parts based on specific issues faced by Black communities and location.

Reginald Gammon, Freedom Now, 1963, acrylic on board

Front view of the de Young Museum

Entrance to underground level of the museum where Soul of a Nation was located

Entrance to the Soul of a Nation exhibition

The first artwork I came across upon entering this exhibit was Reginald Gammon’s Freedom Now.  This painting stood out to me as it represents the March on Washington, a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.  This event was a result of attacks on peaceful Civil Rights protestors in Birmingham, Alabama during the spring of 1963. It not only sparked reactions from Black communities, but from the nation as a whole. It was at this event that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.  This speech, along with the racial injustices inspired the crowd to rise up and come together to fight for their rights.  Gammon successfully captured the energy and determination of the crowd as response to the racial injustices.  He was part of a group of Black artists called “Spiral” which generally used a stark palette to mirror polarized racial relations, however, Gammon used the black-and-white palette to blur racial distinctions within the crowd to highlight their shared purpose.

Noah Purifoy, Watts Riot, 1966, mixed media

Another artwork that caught my interest was Noah Purifoy's Watts Riot.  This work is also a response to racial injustices within different communities, in this case, a Los Angeles community. Ongoing confrontations within L.A. communities led to the six-day-long Watts Rebellion. The riots that took place during this six day period caused violence, arrests, and $40 million dollars in property damage. Purifoy and other artists gathered materials from neighborhoods and incorporated them into their art.  The use of materials from the site of the riot was an innovative way to express the racial injustices. It is powerful as the materials are directly connected to the damage carried out among neighborhoods. They carry a personal meaning for those who were involved, and they show the rest of the world the realities and consequences of racial injustices. Purifoy melted neon signs as a way to demonstrate that education through creativity is the only way for one to find themselves in a materialistic world.

Barbara Chase-Riboud, Confessions for Myself, 1972, black patinated bronze and wool

Other artworks at the exhibition focused on the issue of identity such as Barbara Chase-Riboud's powerful sculpture, Confessions for Myself.  This sculpture is a combination of polished bronze and braided, knotted, and twisted wool that alludes to hairstyles of African, African American, and African Caribbean cultures. It communicates the idea that "Black is Beautiful," a concept that is both personal and political.  At a time when Black communities were coming together to gain rights, they also expressed themselves by wearing their hair naturally. In doing this, they established their own identities and connected with their cultural roots. I thought the size and dark color of this anthropomorphic sculpture was very intimidating as the artist probably wanted to communicate the strong rise of Black identity as the Civil Rights Movement grew.

Museum attendee viewing Archibald Motley's The First One Hundred Years: He Amongst You Who Is Without Sin Shall Cast the First Stone; Forgive Them Father for They Know Not What They Do, 1963-72, oil on canvas

Phillip Lindsay Mason, The Hero, 1968, acrylic on canvas

Phillip Lindsay Mason's The Hero interested me because it was a response to the Eurocentric traditions of figurative painting. Traditionally, Western art like American comic books or fine arts did not include many Black subjects. However, Mason takes a Black subject and transforms him into a mythical figure, specifically a Black superhero. This subject is powerful with his determined stance and blue chains around his waist signifying strength and solidarity rather than past bondage. Artworks like this encouraged the assertion of Black identity within the public.

Melvin Edwards, Curtain (for William and Peter), 1969, barbed wire and chain

The exhibition also included works by abstract artists such as Curtain (for William and Peter) by Melvin Edwards. This artwork consists of a curtain made from barbed wire. Its materials capture the histories of bondage and brutality. Edwards claimed that the materials were what they were, but people associate them with poetic or political meanings. Black abstract artists like Edwards took interest in abstract expressionist works and art that pushed the limits of their materials and forms. What surprised me the most about this portion of the exhibition was that abstract artists received negative criticism from other Black artists. This was because they thought abstract art was not empowering. However, many abstract works were influential as they were inspired by life experiences, or they honored political leaders.

Soul of a Nation was an amazing exhibition that showcased a wide variety of works by Black artists. It demonstrates how artists came together in response to the issues of their time, specifically racial injustices and identity. Even though there were several great works to discuss the five that I talked about really stood out to me. 

I noticed that as the exhibition progressed, there was more of a variety in the mediums used. The artists utilized medium to communicate their messages and gain a response from their audiences. For example, Wadsworth Jarrell's Revolutionary (Angela Davis) does an excellent job of using vivid and energetic colors that go against the mainstream, but it is expressive and continues to expand the possibilities for art.

Wadsworth Jarrell, Revolutionary (Angela Davis), 1971, acrylic and mixed media on canvas

Museum attendees viewing the Message to the People: AfriCOBRA in Chicago portion of the exhibition