SOUL OF A NATION
I went to see the Soul of a Nation
exhibition at the Tate Modern museum in London. I took my cousin for her
birthday (I’m trying to give experiences rather than physical gifts as a
present). Soul Of A Nation showcases the work of African American artists
throughout the civil rights movement, bringing their work to the forefront as
this year marks the 50th anniversary of the term ‘black power’.
Before entering the exhibition there are multiple TV screens displaying the
pivotal moments during the movement by it’s most known leaders and pioneers
such as Malcom X, Stokley and Martin Luther King. These kind of events always
make me the question ‘what about the Black British History’? That is barely
documented? Black British children are taught more about the American Civil
Rights movement than their own history which is a shame as the experiences are
different. That being said there is the Black Cultural Archives Museum in
Brixton.
One of my favourite pieces of work is the
What’s Going On painting featured above by Barkley Hendricks. Hendricks work
was often used as a voice for the under represented black people in America
during the 1960s and 1970s. He is also the artist responsible for the
exhibition’s cover image ‘ My Man Superman’. The What’s Going On piece conveys
variation complexions with the use of multiple mediums from oil paints to
acrylics. The exhibition also includes photography, video clips and paintings that
depict the time.
Try and see the exhibition before is ends!
For more and the latest blog posts keep it touch!
YASMIN TELLS