CCBC-Net Archives
Harlem
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Rita Auerbach <ritaauerbach>
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 14:52:59 -0500
Apropos of an ongoing discussion, I wanted to chime in on the Romare Bearden question. I agree that Chris Myers' illustrations are reminiscent of Bearden's work and thus evoke a strong association with the world of Harlem. Myers' style, however, is also very distinctly his own--a new and very welcome presence in children's book art.
I'm not sure that one can identify a Harlem Renaissance style in art, but I think Ginny was right it pointing out that "Harlem" suggests a continuity with the work of artists (Bearden, Johnson and others) who have been associated with this community. (There was a bit of misinformation about Bearden offered here that should be corrected. Strictly, speaking Bearden did produce his great body of work after the 1920's, but he was born in 1911 to a family active in the life of Harlem, and as a young man knew Langston Hughes and others who exemplified the Renaissance period. His first solo shows, I believe, were in the 1940's.)
Personally, I think Myers chose the perfect medium for this book because his assemblage of textures and scenes--this concatonation of bits and pieces--perfectly captures the spirit of a community which itself comprised a mixture of people, backgrounds, and ideas--a raucous coming together of sights, sounds, and cultures.
Rita Auerbach, Librarian, Manorhaven School, Port Washington, N.Y.
Received on Sat 31 Jan 1998 01:52:59 PM CST
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 14:52:59 -0500
Apropos of an ongoing discussion, I wanted to chime in on the Romare Bearden question. I agree that Chris Myers' illustrations are reminiscent of Bearden's work and thus evoke a strong association with the world of Harlem. Myers' style, however, is also very distinctly his own--a new and very welcome presence in children's book art.
I'm not sure that one can identify a Harlem Renaissance style in art, but I think Ginny was right it pointing out that "Harlem" suggests a continuity with the work of artists (Bearden, Johnson and others) who have been associated with this community. (There was a bit of misinformation about Bearden offered here that should be corrected. Strictly, speaking Bearden did produce his great body of work after the 1920's, but he was born in 1911 to a family active in the life of Harlem, and as a young man knew Langston Hughes and others who exemplified the Renaissance period. His first solo shows, I believe, were in the 1940's.)
Personally, I think Myers chose the perfect medium for this book because his assemblage of textures and scenes--this concatonation of bits and pieces--perfectly captures the spirit of a community which itself comprised a mixture of people, backgrounds, and ideas--a raucous coming together of sights, sounds, and cultures.
Rita Auerbach, Librarian, Manorhaven School, Port Washington, N.Y.
Received on Sat 31 Jan 1998 01:52:59 PM CST
