AAron Douglas

A detailed Summary of AAron Douglas

Being from Kansas I was literally humiliated when I found out that the artist of the piece that I selected is quite possibly the greatest painter, or artist of any genre, from the great Sunflower State. However, Aaron Douglas is black and that may be why I've been so sheltered from his work. Not that everyone in Ks., or me for that matter, is a racist bigot, I was simply not exposed to his work, as I am sure many of my classmates were. This, was coupled with the fact that I am, by definition, a straight up redneck honky (this will be the only racial slur in this paper and yes I feel it is O.K. to use it since I am a honky). To further my humility it dawned on me that I am also an art major. A formal analysis of Douglas's work titled Aspects of the Negro Life is the purpose of this paper. In the next few pages I will show that Aspects of a Negro Life incorporates the principles and elements of art combined with unadulterated emotion to become one of the late Aaron Douglas' greatest achievements.

Born in Topeka, Ks. in 1899, Douglas left the great state and began a journey that would eventually lead to greatness (Sporre). After graduating from the University of Nebraska Lincoln with a BFA, Douglas began teaching at a high

The process in which Douglas uses the seven elements of design, the composition is near perfection. I will start by describing proportion. In a composition that leans towards cubism it is hard to even consider proportion as a serious topic. However, the mural is done in the realistic form and proportion is used to help create perspective by placing the capital building behind and above the figures. (I promise the rest of this paragraph will be more interesting) I have already spoke briefly about the contrast of color, but not how successfully it was used. Douglas uses soft colors on top of even softer colors to give the picture a sublime feel. The green circles in the center of the composition are used to bring the viewer's eye to a certain point in the mural, and this focal point precession is successful because of the contrast in color. The picture also moves well across the canvas because of the intriguing use of the shapes of the figures and lines created by changes in color. Movement is also accomplished through the use of repetition in figures. The people are all different in gesture and pose, but very similar in form, thus giving the composition a great sense of rhythm that is created by the use of repetition in these forms.

The meaning of the painting seems obvious after looking at the work. The mural depicts the fear and spontaneity during slavery, the emancipation of the slaves, and finally the rejoice and return to a quasi-normal way life. I see the picture in three different frames, first is the left one third. There are figures in the foreground shown working and horsemen in the background represent the ever-present threat of being beaten, sold, or even murdered. The cotton represents work, which was basically the only constant thing in the lives of blacks during this time. The center third of the painting shows an elevated black man holding a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation. He is also pointing with his right hand toward a silhouetted capital building which is meant to signify not only the North, but, the chance for education, the opportunity to better one's self, employment, and, most of all, the chance at a fresh start and a new life. The right third exemplifies African-Americans in many different ways, breaking the shackles of slavery, dancing, talking, playing musical instruments, and most of all, enjoying life. The mural is a veritable cornucopia of emotion, from the heartache of the slaves, to the relief of burden, to the exuberance and glee of the freeman.

Sporre, D. J., (2000) . The Creative Impulse (5th Ed.) Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1804
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Arts