ROMARE BEARDEN

'Romare Bearden', (September 2, 1911, in Charlotte, North Carolina—March 12, 1988 in New York, New York) was an African-American artist and writer. He worked in several media including, cartoons, oils, and collage.

Contents

Biography

Published works

Honors achieved

Works

Notes

Sources

See also

External links

Biography

Bearden completed his studies at New York University (NYU), graduating with a degree in education. His education was interrupted by stretches of time he spent as a professional baseball player in the Negro Leagues. At NYU, Bearden took extensive courses in art and was a lead cartoonist and then art editor for the Eucleian Society monthly journal The Medley.
Mr. Bearden had wide-ranging interests and abilities. He wrote and published articles on numerous topics and created political cartoons. He designed costumes and sets for prominent dance and theater companies, illustrated books by influential authors, co-wrote books about African American art and culture and composed songs. He was also offered an opportunity to play professional baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics, if he would agree to “pass as white”—an offer he refused.^[1]
He studied under German artist George Grosz at the Art Students League in 1936 and 1937. Shortly thereafter he began the first of his stints as a case worker for the New York Department of Social Services. During World War II, Bearden joined the army in the United States Army, serving from 1942 until 1945. Following that time he lived in Europe for several years.
Bearden turned to music, co-writing the hit song “Sea Breeze", which was recorded by Billy Eckstine and Dizzy Gillespie; it is still considered a jazz classic.^[2] In 1954, at age 42, he married Nanette (Rohan) Bearden, a 27 year old accomplished dancer and noted beauty from St. Maarten who herself became an artist and critic eventually creating the Bearden Foundation to assist young artists. Nanette Bearden was also instrumental in convincing her husband to focus on his independent art.
In "The Art of Romare Bearden", Ruth Fine describes his themes as "universal". "A well-read man whose friends were other artists, writers, poets and jazz musicians, Bearden mined their worlds as well as his own for topics to explore. He took his imagery from both the everyday rituals of African American rural life in the south and urban life in the north, melding those American experiences with his personal experiences and with the themes of classical literature, religion, myth, music and daily human ritual."
During the 1940s, his style combined African culture and symbols with a stylized realism. Paintings such as his 1948, ''The Family'' demonstrate his interest in Cubism and the influence that the style had on his work. After a stay in Paris, Bearden's work became more abstract, using layers of oil paint to produce muted, hidden effects.
During the 1960s civil rights movement, his focus shifted again, this time to collage, which is considered his best work. Excellent examples are in his 1963 series of collages, ''Prevalence of Ritual''. His later highly prized print collection ''A Graphic Odyssey'' was the work of the last fifteen years of his life.^[3]

Published works

Romare Bearden is the author of.

★ ''Lil Dan, the Drummer Boy'', New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003
Romare Bearden is the coauthor of,

★ with Harry Henderson, ''Six Black Masters of American Art'', New York: Doubleday, 1972

★ with Carl Holty, ''The Painter's Mind'', Taylor & Francis, 1981

★ with Harry Henderson, of ''A History of African-American Artists. From 1792 to present'', New York: Pantheon Books 19

Honors achieved

★ Founded the ''306 Group'', a club for Harlem artists

★ In 1966 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters

★ In 1972 he was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters

★ In 1987 he was awarded the National Medal of Arts

Works

★ She-Ba

★ Wrapping it Up At the Lafayette

★ Summertime

★ Showtime

★ Return of the Prodigal Son

★ Last of the Blue Devils

★ Abstract

★ Fisherman

★ Falling Star

★ The Lantern

★ Morning of the Rooster

★ The Woodshed

★ Piano Lesson

★ Carolina Shout

★ Rocket to the Moon

★

Notes

1. Romare Bearden: Scenes From the Portfolios Sacred Heart University
2. Romare Bearden: Man of Many Parts Paul Trachtman, 01 Feb 2004
3. A Graphic Odyssey: Romare Bearden as Printmaker

Sources

★ Encyclopedia of Artists, Vaughn, William, , , Oxford University Press, Inc, 2000, ISBN 0-19-521572-9

★ Who's Who in Colored America: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Persons of African Descent in America, Yenser, Thomas (editor), , , Who's Who in Colored America, Brooklyn, New York, 1930-1931-1932 Third Edition, [Provides biography of mother, Bessye J. Bearden]

★ Romare Bearden Foundation Biography

See also

★ African American art

External links

★ The Art of Romare Bearden at the National Gallery of Art, Washington

★ Marshall Arts presents Romare Bearden

★ Bearden Foundation biography

★ Romare Bearden Images: Hollis Taggart Galleries

★ "Romare Bearden: The Music in His Art, A Pictorial Odyssey" - by Ronald David Jackson. video, 2005

★ Romare Bearden Artwork Examples on AskART.

★ Romare Bearden papers online at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art