HR in Film Today

Brother to Brother, 2004

Close your eyes and imagine being black during the early 1900s -- wave goodbye to freedom. Now imagine being gay or a female and black -- beg for your freedom. In the film Brother to Brother, directed by Rodney Evans, artists of the Harlem Renaissance struggle to sell their work due to their skin color, sex and because of their lifestyle. Black female writer, Zora Neale Hurston, and gay black writer, Wallace Thurman, both had their worked turned down, in the film, by a white publisher because it wasn't commercial enough, it was to black and factual. 

The publisher loved Hurstons work, but he had some "minor" adjustments he wanted her to take care of. It was mainly the fact that her writing was up to commercial white standards. It was too vernacular for the average reader, their target audience. The audience the publisher had in mind where all white, to him this black english would almost be incompressible for them. To him this wasn't english, but Hurston then acknowledged "this language is negro language". The publisher told her that Nigger Heaven was a best seller and written by a white person. Implying that theres a huge market for this subject and even better one for a book written with a more authentic voice. A voice translated into white english. "I'm not speaking for these people, I am these people." Hurston refused to act as some kind of spokesperson for blacks, she refused any ideas for language adjustments from the publisher. Hurston left with dignity, integrity and pride. 

In Thurmans case, the publisher thought it was to accurate but fanciful enough. "Public wants danger, sex and violence coming from Harlem." The white reader was accustomed to hearing about the crimes and wrong doings from minority communities. It was so different from what they, whites, were experiencing that it intrigued them. To them, it was a kind of movie, a distant and exciting event. Thurman disagreed with the suggestion to present another evil Harlem facade, it was degrading and untrue. The publisher also added that he should play up the drugs and Thurman responded: "No drugs, it's untrue to the character". The publisher continued to push Thurman to make his writing more dramatic and fanciful, but Thurman had enough and marched out the office with dignity, integrity and pride. 

They had all the right to stand up for what they had created. They both had created a accurate and celebratory representation blacks. They didn't further away from the dark truth but chose to instead celebrate instead mourn. If they would complied to the publishers demand they would not have been as influential as they are. Only those who provoke and push peoples boundaries have an everlasting impression on their audience. 

Through so much hard work, discrimination, harassment Hurston and Thurman persisted. Because of this persistence they were able to achieve all they and affect the millions who have read their work. Now their international icons and helped further a movement for acceptance, love and peace for all.

Showbiz

Photograph by James VanDerZee

The photograph above was taken by renowned photographer James VanDerZee. In the image you see five young African American girls wearing short frilly dress, and some adorning top hats. All five girls are positioned in dance poses. The three girls in the back appear to be dancing in a much more relaxed fashion while the two girls in the front, wearing top hats, are in classic 20s ballet/showbiz poses. It's a beautiful depiction of the flourishing entertainment that occurred in Harlem during the renaissance. The artistry of entertainment runs through the veins of those who grew up in Harlem. Many young African Americans took advantage of the time and their talent and performed for wealthy white crowds in well know clubs.

I chose the photograph because I found it extremely insightful. The fact that there are these five young girls already performing for the camera in an organized fashion says a lot about the Harlem Renaissance youth. Most pictures of performers from the time are of adults in  clubs all dressed up etc. This is very different, there at home in their regular clothes merely having fun and enjoying what they do in the most innocent way possible. There not relying on money or any other tags. The image is a great representation of the HR theme: Negro heritage and history. Its enhances the idea that Harlem Renaissance was a time of full entertainment in all shapes and forms for blacks.

Café

William H. Johnson

The painting above, named Café, was created by William H. Johnson another well known Harlem Renaissance painter. It portrays a black couple enjoying themselves at a coffee shop.. I also found it very interesting and unique how the Johnson posed the couple. The man us at the table with his legs crossed and arms to himself, while the female is standing straight embracing the man with her right arm. Usually, particularly in a patriarchal society, you would see the opposite going on. The man taking control of the women, taming her. This could be depicting the empowered black women seen throughout the Harlem Renaissance. A women that takes control of her life and body. 

I really like the color choice is the best part of the whole piece. I was intrigued by the painting mainly due to it's bright color block. The colors really pop, the purples, oranges, browns, blue etc.  The style was also something that looked great. I don't want to call it cubism or cartoon but it meets somewhere in the middle. Both man and women have strong box like torsos and are created by basic shapes with details. The grid pattern on the mans suit adds to the geometric rhythm that pervades throughout the piece. 

Café is a depiction of the HR theme: desire to reconstruct meaning of Negro. However, this piece is an exception. It wishes to reconstruct the meaning of a female negro. It enhances the idea that a black women is more than servant, especially in Harlem during the renaissance. She was a superwomen that had a bigger voice then most. A women that could take control of her career, household and partner. A women that could wear the pants in a relationship. 

We Four in Paris

Palmer Hayden 

The piece above, Nous Quatre a Paris (We Four in Paris), was brought to this complicated world by Palmer Hayden. Its watercolor on paper and is currently at exhibited at the MET in New York. At first glance we see four African American men sitting around a table playing poker while another two play pool in the background. On the poker table there is a glass of wine, keep in mind that during the Harlem Renaissance there was a prohibition on all alcohol. The oddest thing about the piece is that all four men, playing poker, are staring away from their cards and of to the sides. They seem to be on high alert due to their distracted faces and long stiff necks. They look as if they are worried that they'll get in trouble for playing poker and drinking some wine, which they would. I didn't really get much more out it than that. They look worried that as Black men, playing poker and drinking win, they'll get busted by the white cops and sent to prison.

I selected the piece because of the technique they used to make it, watercolor. The watercolor really stood out compared to the rest of the pieces I saw on Google images. Most of the other art was from Harlem Renaissance was done with paint and created a very bright, vivid and flat composition. This is much smoother, relaxed and gives the feeling of a sketchy pub filled with cigarette smoke. In addition, I also was intrigued by the different skin tones Hayden gave the four men at the table. It's a great defense against the generalized term "black". Though they are all under the category "black", they have vert distinct skin tones. Side noting, the man on the right reminded me of black face actors during the 19 century.

It was hard for me to deiced which HR theme to use because it wasn't very obvious with this piece. However, I concluded that it depicted the determination to fight against the oppressor. The African American men aren't physically fighting nor are they doing anything thats obviously agains the oppressor. However, they are disobeying the rules, rebelling and having fun. By not conforming to the strict rules set against them they are testing and toying with the government. 

Building More Stately Mansions

Aaron Douglas 

The painting above, Building More Stately Mansions, was created by Aaron Douglas in 1944; a painter and a major public figure for the Harlem Renaissance. The piece is a perfect and tangible way of understanding the African Americans role in major parts of history, the worker. You see workers coming together surrounded by monuments that were more than likely built by blacks. The Egyptian pyramid and the Sphinx are depicted in the background as part of those monuments. From my own previous knowledge I know that blacks weren't the only ones that worked on the sculptural monsters. African Americans were generally used as slaves, servants and workers in ancient times and even throughout most of history. Douglas is not accrediting all major landmarks or all hard labor to the negro population but he is merely emphasizing their socially constructed role in society.

I typed in "Harlem Renaissance artwork" into google and I received a gazillion pictures. Out of all those pieces, artwork by Aaron Douglas was consistently intriguing me. His pieces looked very different from the rest; it was modern, clean, mentally accessible and even commercial. Many of his pieces look as if they came from movie posters or comics. His work even seems digitally created, with all its smooth tones and flat colors. I could imagine seeing his artwork today and it would still seem relevant in terms of aesthetic.

Building More Stately Mansion exemplifies the HR theme of Negro history & heritage. Like I mentioned before, it depicts the role blacks have had throughout most of history, at least under a ruler. It does not show the black race in their own kingdom, but instead as an alien worker under the reign of someone outside the black culture and heritage, usually under the white ruler. They are used as servants, slaves and workers when put under the "minority" category.