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As its name implies, "public art" is intended for all people to see and enjoy. Sculptures or monuments are a common type of public art. So are murals - paintings created on walls - ranging in size from inside wall panels to the entire sides of buildings.
You can find public art in many forms throughout the U.S. today. Much of it was created during the Depression of the 1930s through the government's Works Progress Administration (WPA). Artists working for the WPA's Federal Art Project created over 2,500 murals in libraries, post offices and other public buildings across America.
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One prominent artist who began his career in the WPA's arts program is African-American painter and educator Jacob Lawrence (b. 1917). His bright, bold paintings on American history have been an important part of the art scene for over six decades.
Jacob Lawrence grew up in New York City's Harlem during the Depression and was influenced by the "Harlem Renaissance" of the 1920s. After studying in an after-school art program, he was hired by the Federal Art Project in 1938, and went on to a distinguished career as a painter, muralist and university professor.
Jacob Lawrence, in his own words:
"My pictures express my life and experience. I paint the American scene."
Lawrence's work often revolves around the struggle of Black Americans throughout history. His highly personal, original style - blending Expressionism and Cubism, and featuring a vivid use of color - has remained basically unchanged for more than half a century.
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Now try creating a mural of your own design. You can portray a historical subject, as Lawrence often did, or another topic. Sketch a rough draft of your design on plain paper, then make a final version on grid paper. If possible, use tempera or watercolors to make a small-sized color version. Then imagine what it might look like full-sized!
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Lawrence often created his works in theme-based series. Some of the most notable include The Migration of the Negro (60 paintings, 1940-41); Harlem (30 paintings, 1942-43); and Hiroshima (8 paintings, 1983).
At 24, Jacob Lawrence became the first African-American artist in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Still at work over 60 years later, he is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington.
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| Look for his extraordinary art in galleries, museums and books, and on the Web at the links below: |
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