Important Artists in Black Art Painting

Since its conception, art in all of its various forms hasto follow.
been created for the sole purpose of the artistThe scenario for artists from and living in Africa is
describing for the world his or her personal visions of adifferent though. Despite the struggles with racial
person, event, or place. As a result visual works of artdiscrimination and inherent prejudice in the U.S., African
leave the viewer with an impression of an extremeartists are faced with even more difficult issues.
emotion. Whether that feeling is joy or the deepest pitsApartheid and censorship have long plagued this long
of despair, the artist has done their job if something ofsuffering group of artists and painters. While
their reality shows through their work. Painters of allexpressing their views of the political unrest and unfair
races and ethnic backgrounds can surely relate to thetreatment, African artists have been subjected to
"starving artist" theory. But for black artist the strugglesevere punishment and censorship unheard of in the
has been a little more intense. Not only in the U.S. asWest. Thanks in part to the academic world's growing
the children of freed slaves, but unfortunately in theirinterest in the work of the modern black artist, black
mother continent of Africa, Black American artistsart painting is receiving more attention and registering in
have faced discrimination and censorship. Fortunatelythe minds of museum curators and art galleries alike.
both sets of unique, gifted artists are beginning to seeMost of the credit belongs to the fortitude and artistic
some of the attention and praise they deserve. Blackexpression of the African artists themselves.
art painting is finally being seen for the hugeFrom its humble beginning in rock painting to its
contribution to history and the art world that it is.depictions of slavery, apartheid, and injustice, black fine
Both sides of the world have produced amazinglyart is an expression of the feelings and emotions of a
gifted artists. In the Western hemisphere there arediverse, racially unified community of artists. The rest
certain black men and women who paved the wayof the world now has the opportunity to see and
for the African American artists of today. Horaceexperience this unique form of painting.
Pippin is one of those men. After an injury in WWI,Mr. Moyo Ogundipe has a Bachelors of Arts degree in
Pippin discovered his underlying talent for rich, historicalFine Art from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria and a
painting. While he avoided the unpleasantness of lifeMaster of Fine Art degree in Painting from The
for a black man in the U.S. during that time period, heHoffberger School of Painting, Maryland Institute
did produce black art paintings that spoke volumes toCollege of Art, Baltimore, USA.
the viewer. His work was displayed in the Museum ofOne of Africa's most celebrated and renowned
Modern Art in 1938. A less known black artist thatcontemporary black American artists, Mr. Ogundipe
contributed to the black art movement in the Unitedhas exhibited extensively in Africa, Europe and the
States is Walter Ellison. His most famous work isUSA. His paintings have been described as hypnotic,
"Train Station" located in the Art Institute of Chicago.colorful and densely patterned.
That painting is an honest look at the difficulties facingIn 1996, Mr. Ogundipe was awarded the
black families as they migrated north in the hope of aPollock-Krasner Fellowship. And in 2005 he was invited
better future than the south could or would offer.to become a member of Africobra, an organization
These two exceptional black artists help give hope offounded in the 1960s and whose membership
recognition to the many gifted black artists that werecomprises of distinguished African-American artists.