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| Casey
Mullan I thought that one of the most important aspects of the Harlem Renaissance was what originally got the wheels turning. This was the black soldiers returning from WWI. I was particularly interested in the 369th Infantry Battalion. They became the most decorated and honored battalion in the U.S. armed services in WWI. In France they were treated with respect and equality upon return to the U.S. they had a parade in their honor, though shortly afterwards they were treated with nothing but more racism, anger and disrespect. This is what my inspiration was for my painting. I tried to depict the hardships black soldiers encountered when they returned from the war. These included being, once again, at the bottom of the status hierarchy, having trouble finding jobs, and encountering racism. I chose to depict these themes and ideas through an image because I felt that it was the best way to evoke thinking. It will draw in its audience through colors and shapes and reach a larger audience than other mediums most likely would. In terms of imagery, I thought paint would be the best option. It stands out and has very good contrast because of the coloring options available through paint. The bright colors also seem to give off a sort of hopefulness. The main theme of my painting is that of the black population struggling to become self-reliant. I thought that it was a very important aspect of the Harlem Renaissance and holds a very strong connection towards that era and movement. The painting is supposed to have a strong connection towards the demand for civil rights as well. The symbolism is supposed to be the black soldier sitting at the bottom of the stair, the stairs being the path towards self reliance, civil rights, and equality. The soldier's shirt is stained with sweat, blood, and tears to show the hard work that he and his men had done for our country. Yet still, he remains at the bottom of the stairs, sitting because he is unable to go any higher no matter how hard he tries. He holds a sign stating "the new Negro has no fear". This was a famous saying from this era. It is a sign of change to come. It is connected towards the Harlem Renaissance in that it hold all the major ideas and goals of black progression. My project started as a cutout. I later decided a painting would be better for expressing the color and mood of my idea. As I progressed through the creation of my project, the themes and ideas of how I wanted it to look constantly changes. I even changed the wording on the sign several times. In the end, I decided "the new Negro has no fear" was the most connected like I could put on the sign. |