Charles White, Awaken from the Unknowing, 1961, Charcoal and Wolff crayon on paperboard, Private Collection, Photo via the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA.
The retrospective exhibition of over 100 prints, drawings, and paintings by the artist Charles White (1918-1979) has moved from MoMA to LACMA, where it will be on view through June 9, 2019. The artist was a superb draftsman who altered his style over time to address the changing struggles of African Americans. He created beautiful, detailed portraits of historical and contemporary African Americans that celebrate their dignity and heroism.
This artist and civil rights activist joined social causes in the cities where he lived – Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles – to effect change for his community. White stated, “Art must be an integral part of the struggle. It can’t simply mirror what is taking place… it must ally itself with the forces of liberation.”
