“Black Art: In the Absence of Light”

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

“Black Art: In the Absence of Light” is a new documentary streaming on HBO/HBO Max. It is a profound introductory survey of black art in the United States today and its history up to this point. This documentary is centered around the lifework of art historian and artist, David Driskell, curator of the 1976 exhibition “Two Centuries of Black American Art.” The film takes a very honest and direct approach to the art world’s lack of acknowledgment of artists of color, particularly black artists. This includes addressing the Modern era’s preference for abstraction over figurative representation and the lack of actual representation of artists of color in America’s art institutions throughout the 20th century.

The documentary includes multiple interviews with contemporary black artists including Betye Saar, Kerry James Marshall, Richard Mayhew and more. I found the most profound commentary came from the interviews with Faith Ringgold, Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald, Kara Walker and Theaster Gates. In fact, it is from a dialogue with Theaster Gates that the filmmakers gleaned their title. Gates explains what it is like for black artists to be creative and to be makers of art without any acknowledgement or appreciation for their work. It is in effect, art-making “in the absence of light.”

For more information on the life of David Driskell, please visit…

For more information on “Two Centuries of Black American Art,” please visit…

https://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/two-centuries-black-american-art

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.