"The Art of Romare Bearden," an extensive exhibit of nearly 130 works, showcasing Bearden's life, career, causes and world, is currently showing in the National Gallery of Art's East Wing from now until Jan. 4.
The exhibit is divided into two levels, with several sections on each floor level. Each of the sections are devoted to a place where Bearden lived, including Pittsburgh, PA, Harlem and the Caribbean island of St. Martin. The culture of each location is manifested in the works contained in their respective section.
Romare Bearden (1911-1988) was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina where he lived until 1914, when he relocated with his family to New York City and settled in Harlem, an area that would prove to be a great source of inspiration for his artwork.
The rural South, Bearden's birthplace, influenced many of his early paintings displayed in the exhibit. These paintings depict his experiences in the South, with an emphasis on his religious practices. "The Family," which Bearden completed in 1942, portrays Bearden with his mother and father. Despite the fact that the Bearden used brown paper for his canvas, "The Family," is vibrant and colorful. The murals of Mexican artist Diego Rivera and the poetry of Garcia Lorca served as principle influences for Bearden's pieces in this section.
Harlem's culture frequently reoccurs as a motif in Bearden's paintings. In the Harlem branch of the exhibit, densely layered and populated city scenes prevail in nearly every piece. Brilliant hues of red and equally dull hues of gray, give these works an urban effect. Frequently, the people depicted have abnormally large, piercing eyes that seem to pop out of the picture and function as the focal points in the work, as in "The Street (Composition for Richard Wright)."
Bearden's jazz-influenced works dominate much of the exhibit's second floor. These paintings are laden with patterns and rhythms that were influenced by local jazz artists of the time. "Of the Blues: At the Savoy" depicts joyful dancing to none other than a jazz band situated in the center of the work.
The last large room on the second level of the exhibition is devoted to Bearden's fascination with the beauty of black women, as in "Reclining Nude." The black woman can be seen in a myriad of situations in this section: from Madonna with child, to lover, to teacher. In several pieces the woman takes the role of a conjurer, or a Caribbean obeah woman, in reference to Bearden's life in the South. In addition, this section contains a short film on Bearden's life narrated by actor Morgan Freeman.
The collection as a whole perfectly illustrates Bearden's transformations as an artist. The National Gallery shows the various mediums that Bearden experimented with throughout his career as each section of the exhibit clearly portrays a different stage in his locality and life; artistically and spiritually.
Romare Bearden has created nearly two thousand paintings, collages, murals, drawings, prints, ballet costumes, book illustrations and record album covers in his career. The National Gallery's collection blatantly depicts his evolution from art student, to painter, to renowned.
